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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. file — a tool
  4. firm — steady
  5. tear — from crying
  6. chip — to eat
  7. pop — to visit
  8. squash — the sport
  9. firm — decided
  10. rash — hasty
  11. rash — a series
  12. tear — to rip
  13. pass — a permit
  14. tear — from crying
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. pop — soda
  17. pop — music
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. squash — to crush
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. firm — a company
  22. chip — for betting
  23. file — a line of people
  24. pass — to succeed

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