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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 116 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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. file — a tool
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. file — a document
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. bat — the animal
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. content — the amount
  15. chip — for betting
  16. chip — to eat
  17. present — there
  18. present — a gift
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. content — happy
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. present — the time now

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