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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. dip — to sink
  4. shower — rain
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. rest — what's left
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. file — a tool
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. shower — to wash
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. object — a thing
  17. object — an aim
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. file — a line of people
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rest — a break
  22. object — to protest
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. temple — side of the head

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