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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. file — a line of people
  3. file — a document
  4. ball — a dance
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. last — final
  7. pop — music
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. last — finally
  10. pop — soda
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. file — a tool
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. last — to go on
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. pop — to visit
  21. ball — a great time
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. safe — out of danger

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