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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 teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. file — a document
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. kid — to tease
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. file — a line of people
  7. spell — letters
  8. suit — to fit
  9. kid — child
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. spell — magic
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. craft — boats
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. suit — in cards
  17. file — a tool
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. suit — clothes
  22. craft — a skill
  23. roll — a cake
  24. spell — a short time

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