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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 120 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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. current — happening now
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. scale — size or range
  7. scale — in music
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. lie — to recline
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. file — a line of people
  16. file — a document
  17. current — electric
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. current — of water
  23. dip — to sink
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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