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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fall — to drop
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. swing — music
  8. firm — a company
  9. firm — decided
  10. swing — in golf
  11. file — a document
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. shower — to wash
  14. fall — the season
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. firm — steady
  17. pit — a hole
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. file — a line of people
  21. swing — to play on
  22. pound — a weight
  23. pit — in a race
  24. shower — rain

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