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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. suit — clothes
  3. mate — a partner
  4. dip — to sink
  5. mate — a friend
  6. chest — of your body
  7. chest — a box
  8. suit — to fit
  9. chest — of your body
  10. suit — in cards
  11. file — a line of people
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. mate — to breed
  15. fall — to drop
  16. mug — a cup
  17. file — a tool
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. wind — moving air
  20. wind — moving air
  21. fall — the season
  22. mug — to rob
  23. fall — to drop
  24. mug — a face

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