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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. file — a line of people
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. suit — clothes
  7. drill — the tool
  8. file — a document
  9. chip — to eat
  10. scale — in music
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. season — of the year
  14. suit — in cards
  15. file — a tool
  16. row — to paddle
  17. season — in sport
  18. scale — size or range
  19. suit — to fit
  20. chip — for betting
  21. drill — a practice
  22. row — a line
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. drill — army training

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