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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. file — a line of people
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. wound — an injury
  5. mug — to rob
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. can — a tin
  10. plane — a tool
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. wound — an injury
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. cell — in biology
  15. hand — in cards
  16. hand — help
  17. cell — a phone
  18. mug — a face
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. file — a tool
  21. snap — to click
  22. file — a document
  23. can — a tin
  24. can — to be able to

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