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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. file — a tool
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. file — a line of people
  5. swing — music
  6. stand — to bear
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. object — an aim
  13. mine — for digging
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. swing — in golf
  16. swing — to play on
  17. rush — hurry
  18. kid — to tease
  19. object — to protest
  20. file — a document
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. object — a thing

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