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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 116 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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. mate — to breed
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. file — a line of people
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. file — a tool
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. mate — a partner
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. kid — to tease
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. rush — hurry
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. file — a document
  17. mate — a friend
  18. plane — a tool
  19. kid — child
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. rock — a stone
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. rock — to move gently

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