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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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. file — a document
  5. cap — a hat
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. cap — a lid
  8. file — a line of people
  9. lie — to recline
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. row — to paddle
  13. rock — music
  14. file — a tool
  15. rock — a stone
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. cap — of ice
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. fork — in a road
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. fork — a garden tool

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