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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. mug — a cup
  3. file — a document
  4. branch — a division
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. spring — a coil
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. file — a line of people
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. spring — the season
  13. rash — a series
  14. file — a tool
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. rash — hasty
  18. spring — of water
  19. mug — a face
  20. kid — child
  21. kid — to tease
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. toast — bread

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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