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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. file — a tool
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. staff — employees
  5. file — a line of people
  6. row — a line
  7. fall — to drop
  8. staff — employees
  9. key — the most important part
  10. staff — a stick
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. rush — hurry
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. key — for a lock
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. fall — the season
  18. row — to paddle
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. file — a document
  21. key — in music
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. fall — to drop
  24. wave — with your hand

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