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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 116 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 were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. file — a tool
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. bear — the animal
  5. object — to protest
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. rush — hurry
  8. degree — an amount
  9. rock — music
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. mate — a friend
  12. file — a document
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. object — an aim
  15. file — a line of people
  16. object — a thing
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. mate — to breed
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. degree — temperature
  21. degree — from a university
  22. mate — a partner
  23. stand — to bear
  24. bear — the animal

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