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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mate · ground · chest · file · mouse · fine · rock · wake

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. mate — to breed
  3. file — a document
  4. chest — of your body
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. file — a line of people
  7. mate — a friend
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. ground — the earth
  10. rock — music
  11. chest — of your body
  12. mate — a partner
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. fine — high quality
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. fine — all right
  17. ground — crushed
  18. rock — a stone
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. wake — a trail
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. file — a tool
  23. ground — a position
  24. rock — to move gently

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