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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. shower — to wash
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. lean — thin
  6. file — a line of people
  7. key — in music
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. key — for a lock
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. shower — rain
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. lean — to bend
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. key — the most important part
  20. file — a tool
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. leaves — to go away

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