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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. file — a tool
  4. charge — a price
  5. mark — a grade
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. mine — for digging
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. current — of water
  14. present — the time now
  15. mark — a trace
  16. file — a document
  17. present — a gift
  18. charge — electricity
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. current — happening now
  21. charge — in control
  22. present — there
  23. current — electric
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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