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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 116 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 ________________ went through the wall.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. file — a line of people
  4. bound — tied together
  5. file — a document
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. bound — certain
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. suit — to fit
  11. row — a line
  12. file — a tool
  13. rash — hasty
  14. shower — rain
  15. row — to paddle
  16. bound — obliged
  17. rash — a series
  18. kid — to tease
  19. shower — to wash
  20. kid — child
  21. suit — in cards
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. suit — clothes

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