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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. wake — a trail
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. ball — a great time
  5. file — a document
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. game — wild animals
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. ball — a dance
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. file — a line of people
  21. game — a match
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. safe — out of danger

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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