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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. wound — an injury
  3. chest — a box
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. file — a line of people
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. mine — for digging
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. file — a tool
  10. fine — high quality
  11. chest — of your body
  12. chest — of your body
  13. object — an aim
  14. wound — an injury
  15. object — a thing
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. fine — all right
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — for light
  22. object — to protest
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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