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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. file — a document
  3. file — a tool
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. can — a tin
  6. mine — for digging
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. rash — a series
  9. staff — a stick
  10. file — a line of people
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. craft — boats
  13. rash — hasty
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. hand — help
  16. staff — employees
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. hand — in cards
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — to be able to
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. craft — a skill
  24. staff — employees

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