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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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468
Word bank
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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 walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. 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. file — a line of people
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. file — a document
  4. rest — what's left
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. pass — a permit
  10. rest — what's left
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. present — the time now
  13. present — a gift
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. root — the cause
  18. root — of a plant
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. rest — a break
  21. present — there
  22. root — of a word
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. 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