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

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. chest — a box
  4. file — a document
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. firm — steady
  8. file — a line of people
  9. prune — to trim
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. chest — of your body
  12. mine — for digging
  13. chest — of your body
  14. firm — decided
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. prune — to trim
  18. file — a tool

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