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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. spring — the season
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. file — a line of people
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. ball — a dance
  7. club — for golf
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bass — low music
  10. spring — of water
  11. bass — the fish
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. saw — the tool
  16. club — for dancing
  17. kid — child
  18. ball — a great time
  19. file — a document
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. club — a group
  23. spring — a coil
  24. kid — to tease

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