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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. can — a tin
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. roll — a list
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. file — a document
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. file — a line of people
  13. saw — the tool
  14. fine — all right
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. roll — a cake
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. can — to be able to
  19. can — a tin
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. fine — high quality

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