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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. present — a gift
  3. file — a tool
  4. suit — in cards
  5. file — a line of people
  6. season — of the year
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. ground — crushed
  9. suit — clothes
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. bound — certain
  12. suit — to fit
  13. chair — a leader
  14. ground — the earth
  15. bound — tied together
  16. present — there
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. season — in sport
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. present — the time now
  22. bound — obliged
  23. ground — a position
  24. wave — of the sea

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