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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 information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. saw — the tool
  3. file — a tool
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. swing — in golf
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. stand — to bear
  12. file — a line of people
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. swing — to play on
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. swing — music
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. saw — the 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