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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 · swing · deal · wake · shower · toast · bear · lie

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. file — a line of people
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. bear — the animal
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bear — the animal
  8. file — a document
  9. deal — to handle
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. file — a tool
  13. swing — in golf
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. shower — to wash
  16. wake — a trail
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — to recline
  21. shower — rain
  22. swing — to play on
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. toast — bread

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