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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 information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. staff — employees
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. mark — a grade
  5. kid — child
  6. file — a line of people
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. staff — a stick
  11. saw — the tool
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. file — a tool
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. saw — the tool
  19. mark — a trace
  20. staff — employees
  21. pop — soda
  22. pop — music
  23. pop — to visit
  24. kid — to tease

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