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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. last — finally
  4. file — a document
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. last — final
  7. suit — clothes
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. field — farmland
  10. file — a line of people
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. field — a subject
  13. last — to go on
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. suit — in cards
  17. pitch — completely
  18. suit — to fit
  19. field — for sport
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. cabinet — ministers

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