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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. file — a document
  4. cold — an illness
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. cold — not warm
  7. track — a song
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. file — a tool
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. file — a line of people
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. rash — hasty
  17. track — a path
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. track — to keep track
  23. toast — bread
  24. jam — a tight spot

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