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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. rest — a break
  3. pop — to visit
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. rest — what's left
  6. file — a document
  7. pop — music
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. stock — shares
  14. pop — soda
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. stock — goods
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. file — a line of people
  23. rest — what's left
  24. saw — the 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