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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. scale — size or range
  4. file — a document
  5. file — a tool
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. face — to point toward
  9. track — a path
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. track — to keep track
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. bat — the animal
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. face — part of the head
  18. scale — in music
  19. file — a line of people
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. track — a song
  22. mine — for digging
  23. face — to confront
  24. mine — belonging to me

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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