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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  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 tool
  2. key — for a lock
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. mate — to breed
  5. key — the most important part
  6. mate — a friend
  7. saw — the tool
  8. file — a line of people
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. hand — in cards
  11. foot — a measure
  12. pit — in a race
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. pit — a hole
  15. object — to protest
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. saw — the tool
  19. hand — help
  20. key — in music
  21. object — an aim
  22. mate — a partner
  23. file — a document
  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