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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. dip — to sink
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. rock — music
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. game — wild animals
  11. file — a document
  12. mine — for digging
  13. game — a match
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. file — a tool
  20. shower — to wash
  21. shower — rain
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. rock — a stone
  24. hide — animal skin

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