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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. chest — of your body
  3. mate — a partner
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. row — a line
  6. file — a line of people
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. stock — goods
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. mate — a friend
  11. file — a tool
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. stock — shares
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. cue — a hint
  17. mate — to breed
  18. cue — for pool
  19. row — to paddle
  20. cue — a signal
  21. chest — a box
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. chest — of your body
  24. file — a document

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