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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. snap — to click
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. can — to be able to
  6. can — a tin
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. rest — a break
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. file — a tool
  13. net — for catching
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rest — what's left
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. wake — a trail
  18. can — a tin
  19. net — after costs
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. net — in sport
  22. file — a line of people
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. wake — before a funeral

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