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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. pit — a hole
  3. saw — the tool
  4. firm — a company
  5. file — a line of people
  6. craft — a skill
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. saw — the tool
  9. cell — in biology
  10. pit — in a race
  11. hand — in cards
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. craft — boats
  14. firm — decided
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. perch — the fish
  17. firm — steady
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. cell — a phone
  20. file — a tool
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. hand — help

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