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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 ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. mate — a partner
  6. mate — to breed
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. file — a line of people
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. roll — a cake
  12. season — in sport
  13. saw — the tool
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. season — of the year
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. saw — the tool
  20. mate — a friend
  21. file — a tool
  22. roll — a list
  23. bat — the animal
  24. jam — in traffic

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