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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 116 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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. file — a document
  4. rest — what's left
  5. game — wild animals
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. rest — what's left
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. lean — thin
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. game — a match
  13. file — a line of people
  14. season — in sport
  15. board — a committee
  16. lean — to bend
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. season — of the year
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. board — to get on
  22. file — a tool
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mouse — for a computer

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