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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.

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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 · wind · mate · arm · bay · fine · deal · bear

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. file — a line of people
  3. wind — moving air
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. fine — all right
  7. file — a document
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bear — the animal
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. mate — a partner
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. file — a tool
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. deal — to handle
  18. fine — high quality
  19. mate — to breed
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. bear — the animal
  23. wind — moving air
  24. mate — a friend

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