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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. file — a document
  3. file — a line of people
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. suit — in cards
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. fall — to drop
  8. fall — the season
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. suit — clothes
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. snap — to click
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. wound — an injury
  16. fall — to drop
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. suit — to fit
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. file — a tool
  23. wound — an injury
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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