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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. chip — to eat
  5. mine — for digging
  6. fine — all right
  7. saw — the tool
  8. band — a music group
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. ground — a position
  11. band — a ring
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. saw — the tool
  15. ground — the earth
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. chip — for betting
  19. file — a line of people
  20. fine — high quality
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. ground — crushed
  24. file — a document

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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