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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 has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. rest — a break
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. rest — what's left
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. pit — in a race
  10. file — a line of people
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. pop — soda
  13. pop — music
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. rest — what's left
  17. file — a document
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. file — a tool
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. pit — a hole
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. pop — to visit

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