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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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 tool
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. cell — a phone
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. firm — decided
  8. cell — in biology
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. rest — what's left
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. firm — steady
  13. sharp — clever
  14. chip — to eat
  15. rest — what's left
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. chip — for betting
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. file — a document
  20. firm — a company
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. rest — a break

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