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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. chair — a leader
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. club — a group
  9. saw — the tool
  10. present — a gift
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. present — there
  13. lie — to recline
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. saw — the tool
  18. club — for golf
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. club — for dancing
  22. file — a line of people
  23. file — a document
  24. present — the time now

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