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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. face — to point toward
  4. file — a document
  5. suit — to fit
  6. present — a gift
  7. suit — clothes
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. suit — in cards
  10. rest — a break
  11. face — part of the head
  12. rest — what's left
  13. file — a tool
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. scale — in music
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. present — the time now
  18. face — to confront
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. file — a line of people
  23. rest — what's left
  24. scale — size or range

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