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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. band — a music group
  4. cue — a hint
  5. shower — rain
  6. hand — in cards
  7. file — a document
  8. lean — thin
  9. hand — help
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. pass — a permit
  13. shower — to wash
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. cue — for pool
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. cue — a signal
  19. scale — in music
  20. file — a tool
  21. band — a ring
  22. lean — to bend
  23. scale — size or range
  24. scale — for weighing

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