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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 120 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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. file — a document
  3. spring — the season
  4. present — a gift
  5. spring — a coil
  6. mug — to rob
  7. spring — of water
  8. rock — music
  9. mug — a face
  10. content — happy
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. mug — a cup
  15. rock — a stone
  16. stem — to come from
  17. file — a line of people
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. present — there
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. present — the time now
  24. content — the amount

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