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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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. band — a music group
  5. file — a line of people
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. band — a ring
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — a stick
  11. shower — rain
  12. dip — to sink
  13. club — a group
  14. staff — employees
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. sharp — clever
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. club — for golf
  20. shower — to wash
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. file — a tool
  23. club — for dancing
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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