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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 walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. file — a line of people
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. bat — the animal
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. object — a thing
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. mug — to rob
  12. file — a document
  13. object — to protest
  14. present — the time now
  15. mine — for digging
  16. mug — a cup
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. craft — a skill
  19. object — an aim
  20. mug — a face
  21. craft — boats
  22. present — there
  23. sharp — clever
  24. present — a gift

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