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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 was locked up in a ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. file — a line of people
  3. cell — a phone
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. can — to be able to
  6. file — a document
  7. file — a tool
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. can — a tin
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. dip — to sink
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. key — for a lock
  15. cell — in biology
  16. can — a tin
  17. key — the most important part
  18. row — to paddle
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. perch — the fish
  22. row — a line
  23. key — in music
  24. jam — a tight spot

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