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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  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. file — a tool
  2. drill — a practice
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. pop — music
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. swing — in golf
  9. toast — bread
  10. tear — from crying
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. tear — to rip
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. swing — to play on
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. swing — music
  17. pop — soda
  18. drill — army training
  19. drill — the tool
  20. pop — to visit
  21. tear — from crying
  22. file — a document
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. file — a line of people

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