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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. object — a thing
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. bear — the animal
  10. object — an aim
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. file — a line of people
  14. kid — to tease
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. bear — the animal
  18. file — a document
  19. pitch — completely
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. object — to protest
  23. kid — child
  24. temple — side of the head

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