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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. tube — a container
  4. roll — a cake
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. wound — an injury
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. object — a thing
  10. object — to protest
  11. last — to go on
  12. roll — a list
  13. tube — the underground
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. last — finally
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. wound — an injury
  18. last — final
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. file — a line of people
  21. file — a document
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. object — an aim

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