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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.

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: file · squash · kid · pop · can · key · mate · row

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. row — to paddle
  4. row — a line
  5. can — a tin
  6. mate — to breed
  7. key — for a lock
  8. pop — soda
  9. key — the most important part
  10. kid — to tease
  11. key — in music
  12. kid — child
  13. pop — to visit
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. squash — to crush
  16. squash — the sport
  17. file — a document
  18. pop — music
  19. mate — a friend
  20. file — a tool
  21. can — to be able to
  22. can — a tin
  23. mate — a partner
  24. file — a line of people

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