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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. mate — a friend
  3. spell — letters
  4. content — the amount
  5. bass — the fish
  6. can — a tin
  7. spell — magic
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. mate — to breed
  10. can — a tin
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. bass — low music
  13. prune — to trim
  14. can — to be able to
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. file — a document
  17. spell — a short time
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. file — a tool
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. mate — a partner
  24. content — happy

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