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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. saw — the tool
  3. cap — of ice
  4. scale — size or range
  5. chest — of your body
  6. file — a tool
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. suit — clothes
  9. chest — of your body
  10. chair — a leader
  11. suit — in cards
  12. file — a line of people
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. cap — a hat
  15. cap — a lid
  16. scale — in music
  17. chest — a box
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. suit — to fit
  20. fall — to drop
  21. saw — the tool
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fall — the season

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