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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. file — a tool
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. craft — boats
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. file — a document
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. rock — music
  12. craft — a skill
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. wind — moving air
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. file — a line of people
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. rock — a stone
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. wind — moving air
  24. cabinet — ministers

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