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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. rock — music
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. scale — size or range
  7. drill — a practice
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. file — a document
  10. scale — in music
  11. drill — army training
  12. file — a tool
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. drill — the tool
  17. file — a line of people
  18. arm — part of the body

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