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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. can — a tin
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. can — a tin
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. file — a tool
  10. pit — a hole
  11. key — the most important part
  12. key — in music
  13. spring — the season
  14. key — for a lock
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. spring — a coil
  18. can — to be able to
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. spring — of water
  21. pit — in a race
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. file — a document
  24. dip — to sink

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