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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. file — a document
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. staff — a stick
  5. can — to be able to
  6. squash — the sport
  7. can — a tin
  8. squash — to crush
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. file — a tool
  12. bear — the animal
  13. file — a line of people
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. staff — employees
  17. chair — a leader
  18. mark — a grade
  19. mark — a trace
  20. bear — the animal
  21. can — a tin
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. staff — employees

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