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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. file — a document
  4. file — a tool
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. shower — to wash
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. shower — rain
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mark — a grade
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. pitch — completely
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. craft — a skill
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. mark — a trace
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. craft — boats

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