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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. rest — what's left
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. charge — a price
  5. shower — to wash
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. rest — what's left
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. file — a tool
  13. charge — electricity
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. rest — a break
  17. charge — in control
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. file — a document
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. shower — rain

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