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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. shower — rain
  10. file — a tool
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. chest — of your body
  13. bass — low music
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. chest — of your body
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ball — a great time
  18. file — a document
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. shower — to wash
  21. rush — hurry
  22. bass — the fish
  23. ball — a dance
  24. chest — a box

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