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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. squash — to crush
  6. cell — a phone
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. bass — the fish
  9. file — a line of people
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. file — a document
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. squash — the sport
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. cell — in biology
  21. bass — low music
  22. lean — to bend
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. lean — thin

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