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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 120 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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. file — a tool
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. chest — of your body
  6. file — a line of people
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. drill — a practice
  11. wind — moving air
  12. wind — moving air
  13. chest — a box
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. mark — a grade
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. mark — a trace
  19. drill — army training
  20. dip — to sink
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. chest — of your body
  24. drill — 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