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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. file — a document
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. spell — magic
  5. key — in music
  6. file — a tool
  7. can — a tin
  8. file — a line of people
  9. band — a ring
  10. chest — of your body
  11. band — a music group
  12. can — a tin
  13. spell — a short time
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. key — the most important part
  16. row — a line
  17. chest — a box
  18. can — to be able to
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. chest — of your body
  23. row — to paddle
  24. key — for a lock

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