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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 116 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 were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. object — a thing
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. file — a tool
  6. drill — the tool
  7. file — a line of people
  8. object — an aim
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. key — the most important part
  12. object — to protest
  13. key — in music
  14. kid — to tease
  15. drill — a practice
  16. file — a document
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. kid — child
  20. key — for a lock
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. drill — army training
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. rock — music

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