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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 116 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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. file — a tool
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. cue — a hint
  5. cue — for pool
  6. current — happening now
  7. track — to keep track
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. track — a song
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. file — a line of people
  12. track — a path
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. current — of water
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. cue — a signal
  17. current — electric
  18. straw — a straw man

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