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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. saw — the tool
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. bear — the animal
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. shower — rain
  10. file — a tool
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. shower — to wash
  13. bear — the animal
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. saw — the tool
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. file — a line of people

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