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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. file — a document
  4. scale — in music
  5. rock — a stone
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. scale — size or range
  9. rock — music
  10. file — a line of people
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. key — for a lock
  13. drill — army training
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. key — the most important part
  18. drill — the tool
  19. drill — a practice
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. key — in music
  22. file — a tool
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. straw — dry grass

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