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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. file — a document
  4. file — a line of people
  5. rest — a break
  6. prune — to trim
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. stock — shares
  11. prune — to trim
  12. cell — in biology
  13. stock — goods
  14. file — a tool
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. cell — a phone
  20. rock — music
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rock — a stone
  23. rest — what's left
  24. mouse — the animal

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