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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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. file — a tool
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. ground — a position
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. chest — of your body
  11. file — a document
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. chest — of your body
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. chest — a box
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. ground — crushed
  19. wound — an injury
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. file — a line of people
  24. wound — an injury

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