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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. rash — a series
  3. shower — to wash
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. shower — rain
  6. file — a line of people
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. file — a tool
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. pitch — completely
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. row — to paddle
  15. cold — not warm
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. row — a line
  21. cold — an illness
  22. rash — hasty
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. nail — for a hammer

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