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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. file — a document
  3. net — after costs
  4. face — to confront
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. file — a tool
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. shower — to wash
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. chip — to eat
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. face — part of the head
  14. net — in sport
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. net — for catching
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. chip — for betting
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. face — to point toward
  23. shower — rain
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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