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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  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. file — a tool
  2. kick — in football
  3. game — a match
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. shower — to wash
  8. swing — to play on
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. swing — in golf
  11. file — a line of people
  12. mug — a face
  13. can — a tin
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. shower — rain
  17. swing — music
  18. mug — a cup
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — to be able to
  21. game — wild animals
  22. mug — to rob
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. file — a document

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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