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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. file — a tool
  4. chest — a box
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mine — for digging
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. file — a line of people
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. club — for dancing
  12. chest — of your body
  13. file — a document
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. chest — of your body
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. club — a group
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. suit — to fit
  20. club — for golf
  21. date — the fruit
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. suit — clothes
  24. suit — in cards

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