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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. ball — a great time
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. ball — a dance
  6. file — a tool
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. cap — of ice
  10. kid — to tease
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. kid — child
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. wake — a trail
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. cap — a hat
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. cap — a lid
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. file — a document
  24. ruler — for measuring

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