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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 information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. tube — the underground
  3. spell — letters
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. rock — a stone
  6. chest — a box
  7. spell — magic
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. pit — in a race
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. tube — a container
  15. plane — a tool
  16. spell — a short time
  17. pit — a hole
  18. file — a tool
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. rock — music
  21. chest — of your body
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. file — a line of people
  24. chest — of your body

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