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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. content — happy
  3. mate — a partner
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. fall — to drop
  7. fall — the season
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. content — the amount
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. mate — to breed
  13. file — a line of people
  14. chair — a leader
  15. mug — a face
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. file — a document
  18. fall — to drop
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. mug — a cup
  23. mug — to rob
  24. mate — a friend

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