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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 walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. saw — the tool
  3. file — a tool
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. pop — soda
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. spell — a short time
  9. saw — the tool
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. pop — to visit
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. pop — music
  15. spell — magic
  16. chip — to eat
  17. file — a document
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wound — an injury
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. spell — letters
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. chip — for betting

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