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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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. file — a document
  3. saw — the tool
  4. lean — thin
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. file — a tool
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. drill — the tool
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. saw — the tool
  12. drill — a practice
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. scale — size or range
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. lean — to bend
  18. scale — in music
  19. track — a song
  20. drill — army training
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. track — to keep track
  23. file — a line of people
  24. scale — for weighing

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