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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. chest — of your body
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. cue — for pool
  5. file — a document
  6. mug — a cup
  7. snap — to click
  8. cue — a hint
  9. ground — crushed
  10. file — a line of people
  11. ground — the earth
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. ground — a position
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. mug — to rob
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. board — a committee
  18. cue — a signal
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. chest — of your body
  22. mug — a face
  23. chest — a box
  24. board — to get on

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