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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

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

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. file — a document
  4. rest — what's left
  5. cell — a phone
  6. rest — a break
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. cell — in biology
  11. foot — a measure
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. file — a line of people
  15. wind — moving air
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. wind — moving air
  18. rest — what's left

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