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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. track — a song
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. file — a tool
  6. snap — to click
  7. track — to keep track
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — employees
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. staff — a stick
  13. track — a path
  14. fork — in a road
  15. file — a document
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. saw — the tool
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. cell — in biology
  21. saw — the tool
  22. pound — a weight
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. cell — a phone

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