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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. chip — to eat
  3. band — a ring
  4. band — a music group
  5. file — a line of people
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. file — a document
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. chip — for betting
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. net — after costs
  18. net — in sport
  19. net — for catching
  20. date — the fruit
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. dip — to sink

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