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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. rest — a break
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. file — a line of people
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. face — to point toward
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. spell — letters
  12. spell — a short time
  13. spell — magic
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. rest — what's left
  16. file — a document
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. face — part of the head
  20. face — to confront
  21. rest — what's left
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. shower — rain
  24. shower — to wash

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