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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. rest — a break
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. bear — the animal
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. snap — to click
  10. pitch — completely
  11. present — the time now
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. file — a document
  14. present — a gift
  15. rest — what's left
  16. present — there
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. content — the amount
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. file — a line of people
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. bear — the animal
  23. content — happy
  24. rest — what's left

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