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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. rest — a break
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. file — a tool
  9. chip — to eat
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. prune — to trim
  12. saw — the tool
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. chip — for betting
  16. saw — the tool
  17. kid — to tease
  18. kid — child
  19. rest — what's left
  20. file — a line of people
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. prune — to trim
  24. rest — what's left

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