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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. can — a tin
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. file — a line of people
  6. pop — to visit
  7. pop — soda
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. pop — music
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. wound — an injury
  13. wound — an injury
  14. mark — a grade
  15. can — to be able to
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. can — a tin
  20. file — a tool
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. mark — a trace
  24. snap — to click

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