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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. object — to protest
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. chest — of your body
  6. rest — a break
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. object — an aim
  11. cue — for pool
  12. rest — what's left
  13. file — a tool
  14. scale — in music
  15. object — a thing
  16. file — a document
  17. squash — the sport
  18. squash — to crush
  19. cue — a hint
  20. chest — of your body
  21. chest — a box
  22. cue — a signal
  23. rest — what's left
  24. scale — size or range

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