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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. chair — a leader
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. rock — a stone
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. craft — boats
  9. craft — a skill
  10. file — a document
  11. shower — rain
  12. band — a music group
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. file — a tool
  15. shower — to wash
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. band — a ring
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. deal — to handle
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. rock — music

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