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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  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. saw — past of 'see'
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bank — for money
  4. last — finally
  5. staff — a stick
  6. shower — rain
  7. pitch — completely
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. file — a tool
  10. last — final
  11. bank — for money
  12. shower — to wash
  13. bank — of a river
  14. saw — the tool
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. file — a document
  18. staff — employees
  19. foot — a measure
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. last — to go on
  23. staff — employees
  24. file — a line of people

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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