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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. file — a line of people
  3. mug — to rob
  4. ground — a position
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. bulb — for light
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. file — a tool
  13. file — a document
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. ground — the earth
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. scale — size or range
  18. scale — in music
  19. bulb — for light
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. ground — crushed
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. mug — a cup
  24. arm — a part of something

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