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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 116 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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. shower — rain
  3. mug — a cup
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. mug — to rob
  6. ground — crushed
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. ground — the earth
  9. object — a thing
  10. can — to be able to
  11. mug — a face
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. file — a tool
  14. shower — to wash
  15. object — to protest
  16. can — a tin
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. ground — a position
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. file — a document
  21. can — a tin
  22. object — an aim
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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