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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. object — a thing
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. file — a document
  9. spell — letters
  10. spell — magic
  11. object — to protest
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. bear — the animal
  15. spell — a short time
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. scale — size or range
  18. object — an aim
  19. scale — in music
  20. bear — the animal
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. file — a line of people

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