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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. file — a line of people
  3. track — a song
  4. mug — to rob
  5. mate — a friend
  6. present — there
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. plane — a tool
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. present — a gift
  11. mug — a face
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. mate — to breed
  15. rush — hurry
  16. mate — a partner
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. track — to keep track
  19. mug — a cup
  20. present — the time now
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. track — a path
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. file — a tool

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