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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. file — a document
  3. firm — decided
  4. row — to paddle
  5. mark — a grade
  6. row — a line
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. deal — to handle
  10. snap — to click
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. cue — for pool
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. cue — a hint
  16. cue — a signal
  17. wind — moving air
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. wind — moving air
  20. mark — a trace
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. firm — steady
  23. file — a line of people
  24. firm — a company

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