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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. bat — the animal
  5. charge — electricity
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. charge — in control
  10. craft — boats
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. file — a document
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. file — a line of people
  15. craft — a skill
  16. pit — in a race
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. pit — a hole
  19. toast — bread
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. charge — a price
  23. wake — a trail
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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