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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. file — a tool
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. file — a line of people
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. dip — to sink
  17. cold — an illness
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. cold — not warm
  23. file — a document
  24. dip — to dunk

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