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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. kid — to tease
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. kid — child
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. lie — to recline
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. staff — employees
  13. file — a line of people
  14. file — a tool
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. staff — a stick
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. staff — employees
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. rush — hurry

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