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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. file — a document
  3. current — electric
  4. fall — to drop
  5. current — happening now
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. file — a tool
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. file — a line of people
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. fall — the season
  12. cue — a signal
  13. cue — for pool
  14. saw — the tool
  15. court — of law
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. saw — the tool
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. current — of water
  20. fall — to drop
  21. court — for sport
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. court — of a king
  24. cue — a hint

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