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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 116 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 has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. file — a line of people
  3. shower — to wash
  4. stand — to bear
  5. file — a tool
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. pit — a hole
  8. shower — rain
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. pit — in a race
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. pitch — completely
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. file — a document
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. hand — in cards
  20. hand — help
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. stem — to come from
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. stand — for spectators

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