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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. firm — a company
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. saw — the tool
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. bear — the animal
  10. mate — to breed
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. foot — a measure
  13. saw — the tool
  14. firm — decided
  15. firm — steady
  16. file — a document
  17. mate — a partner
  18. mate — a friend
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. bear — the animal
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. file — a tool
  23. bat — the animal
  24. nail — on a finger

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