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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 124 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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. rock — music
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. rock — a stone
  5. chest — a box
  6. file — a tool
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. wind — moving air
  9. pass — a permit
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. object — to protest
  12. chest — of your body
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. object — an aim
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. wind — moving air
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. file — a line of people
  22. chest — of your body
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. object — a thing

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