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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 120 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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. file — a tool
  3. fall — the season
  4. bear — the animal
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. mug — a cup
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. key — for a lock
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. file — a document
  15. file — a line of people
  16. key — in music
  17. fall — to drop
  18. mug — to rob
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. fall — to drop
  21. mug — a face
  22. key — the most important part
  23. bear — the animal
  24. mine — an explosive

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