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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 124 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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. file — a line of people
  3. squash — the sport
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. stand — to bear
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. charge — in control
  8. season — in sport
  9. rash — a series
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. charge — electricity
  12. rash — hasty
  13. charge — a price
  14. swing — music
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. swing — in golf
  17. file — a tool
  18. clip — to cut
  19. clip — for paper
  20. clip — a video
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. season — of the year
  23. squash — to crush
  24. swing — to play on

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