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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. file — a document
  3. cue — a hint
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. wake — a trail
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. cue — a signal
  9. spring — the season
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. file — a line of people
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. file — a tool
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. cue — for pool
  18. pitch — completely
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. spring — a coil
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. spring — of water
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. wake — before a funeral

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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