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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. track — a song
  4. hand — in cards
  5. hand — help
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. branch — a division
  8. file — a document
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. saw — the tool
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. file — a tool
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. track — a path
  19. toast — bread
  20. track — to keep track
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. saw — the tool
  24. hand — part of the body

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