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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. file — a document
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. tube — the underground
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. file — a tool
  8. mug — a face
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. stand — to bear
  11. saw — the tool
  12. mug — a cup
  13. season — of the year
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. kick — in football
  16. file — a line of people
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. mug — to rob
  19. tube — a container
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. saw — the tool

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