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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 116 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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. snap — to click
  3. tear — from crying
  4. bear — the animal
  5. pitch — completely
  6. file — a line of people
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. ball — a dance
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. ball — a great time
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. tear — to rip
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. tear — from crying
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. bear — the animal
  18. cap — a lid
  19. cap — a hat
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. cap — of ice
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. file — a document

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