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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 · fine · bay · ground · snap · rock · stand · spring

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. rock — a stone
  3. ground — a position
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. file — a tool
  7. spring — a coil
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. fine — all right
  10. spring — the season
  11. spring — of water
  12. file — a document
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. fine — high quality
  16. ground — crushed
  17. rock — music
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. snap — to click
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. file — a line of people
  22. stand — to bear
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. ground — the earth

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