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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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. band — a music group
  3. mug — to rob
  4. object — to protest
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. file — a document
  7. fork — in a road
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. dip — to sink
  10. band — a ring
  11. stand — to bear
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. file — a line of people
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. file — a tool
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. mug — a cup
  19. object — a thing
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. object — an aim
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. mug — a face
  24. stand — for spectators

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