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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 116 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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. firm — a company
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. firm — decided
  5. staff — employees
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. scale — size or range
  8. fine — high quality
  9. rest — what's left
  10. firm — steady
  11. file — a line of people
  12. file — a tool
  13. scale — in music
  14. saw — the tool
  15. staff — employees
  16. file — a document
  17. staff — a stick
  18. rest — what's left
  19. fine — all right
  20. rest — a break
  21. row — to paddle
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. row — a line

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