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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. net — for catching
  3. file — a document
  4. last — final
  5. file — a tool
  6. file — a line of people
  7. net — in sport
  8. pop — soda
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. pop — music
  11. spell — letters
  12. pop — to visit
  13. last — finally
  14. date — the fruit
  15. charge — a price
  16. net — after costs
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. spell — magic
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. last — to go on
  21. charge — in control
  22. spell — a short time
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. charge — electricity

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