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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. spell — letters
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. band — a ring
  5. file — a document
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. mug — a cup
  8. mug — to rob
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. band — a music group
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. field — for sport
  14. spell — a short time
  15. spell — magic
  16. file — a line of people
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. mug — a face
  19. season — in sport
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. field — farmland
  22. field — a subject
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. season — of the year

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