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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. branch — a division
  3. staff — a stick
  4. file — a line of people
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. kid — to tease
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. cold — an illness
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rest — what's left
  14. kid — child
  15. rest — a break
  16. file — a tool
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. cold — not warm
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. staff — employees
  24. staff — employees

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