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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 120 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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. row — a line
  4. key — the most important part
  5. cell — in biology
  6. suit — in cards
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. suit — clothes
  9. key — for a lock
  10. key — in music
  11. rest — what's left
  12. can — to be able to
  13. mine — for digging
  14. rest — a break
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — a tin
  17. file — a tool
  18. cell — a phone
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. file — a line of people
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. suit — to fit
  23. row — to paddle
  24. rest — what's left

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