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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. mate — a friend
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. rest — what's left
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. mine — for digging
  14. wax — to grow
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. file — a tool
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. file — a line of people
  20. rest — what's left
  21. mate — a partner
  22. mate — to breed
  23. rest — a break
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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