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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. can — a tin
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. scale — in music
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. can — a tin
  8. shower — to wash
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. rush — hurry
  12. face — part of the head
  13. scale — size or range
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. face — to confront
  16. shower — rain
  17. can — to be able to
  18. hand — help
  19. file — a line of people
  20. hand — in cards
  21. file — a tool
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. file — a document
  24. face — to point toward

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