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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. rush — hurry
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. cue — a hint
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. spring — of water
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. file — a document
  12. wake — a trail
  13. suit — clothes
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. suit — to fit
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. suit — in cards
  19. file — a line of people
  20. cue — for pool
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. spring — the season
  23. cue — a signal
  24. spring — a coil

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com