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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. content — happy
  7. file — a line of people
  8. chip — to eat
  9. club — a group
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. chip — for betting
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. spell — magic
  17. club — for dancing
  18. spell — a short time
  19. club — for golf
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. content — the amount
  22. file — a tool
  23. spell — letters
  24. nail — for a hammer

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