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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. can — a tin
  3. fall — the season
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. file — a tool
  6. charge — electricity
  7. can — to be able to
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. file — a line of people
  10. dip — to sink
  11. file — a document
  12. fall — to drop
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. charge — a price
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — the tool
  18. charge — in control
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. fall — to drop
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. can — a tin
  24. wave — of the sea

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