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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. cell — a phone
  3. foot — a measure
  4. file — a tool
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. fall — to drop
  7. firm — steady
  8. fall — to drop
  9. game — wild animals
  10. firm — a company
  11. charge — a price
  12. cell — in biology
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. file — a line of people
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. charge — electricity
  17. game — a match
  18. fall — the season
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. charge — in control
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. firm — decided
  24. foot — part of the body

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