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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. file — a line of people
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. suit — in cards
  9. bat — the animal
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. suit — to fit
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. file — a tool
  14. sharp — clever
  15. tube — a container
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. tube — the underground
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. suit — clothes
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. snap — to click

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