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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. file — a tool
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. file — a document
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. row — a line
  7. suit — clothes
  8. game — a match
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. suit — to fit
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. file — a line of people
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. foot — a measure
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. tube — the underground
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. tube — a container
  23. row — to paddle
  24. suit — in cards

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