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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. file — a document
  3. fall — to drop
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. file — a tool
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. fall — the season
  13. rush — hurry
  14. fork — in a road
  15. file — a line of people
  16. rash — a series
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. fall — to drop

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