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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. object — a thing
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. rush — hurry
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. cell — in biology
  9. file — a tool
  10. file — a line of people
  11. shower — rain
  12. object — an aim
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. cell — a phone
  15. shower — to wash
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. file — a document
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. saw — the tool
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. object — to protest
  23. pitch — completely
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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