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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 124 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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. chair — a leader
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. ball — a great time
  6. snap — to click
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. rush — hurry
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. file — a tool
  12. toast — bread
  13. bound — obliged
  14. dip — to sink
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. bound — tied together
  19. ball — a dance
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. file — a line of people
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. bound — certain
  24. toast — the most admired

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