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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. court — of law
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. tube — a container
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. face — part of the head
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. file — a tool
  15. face — to point toward
  16. file — a line of people
  17. court — for sport
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. tube — the underground
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. face — to confront
  22. court — of a king
  23. wake — a trail
  24. snap — to click

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