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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. rest — a break
  3. board — to get on
  4. chest — of your body
  5. file — a line of people
  6. rest — what's left
  7. key — the most important part
  8. board — a committee
  9. fork — in a road
  10. chest — a box
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. key — in music
  14. key — for a lock
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. deal — to handle
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. rest — what's left
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. file — a document
  23. chest — of your body
  24. deal — a big deal

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