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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. spring — of water
  5. kid — child
  6. charge — in control
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. spring — a coil
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. kid — to tease
  12. file — a line of people
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. charge — electricity
  16. file — a document
  17. wake — a trail
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. charge — a price
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. spring — the season

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