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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pit · fine · file · straw · roll · mine

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. roll — a list
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. roll — a cake
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. file — a line of people
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. file — a document
  11. pit — in a race
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. pit — a hole
  14. mine — for digging
  15. fine — all right
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. fine — high quality
  18. file — a tool

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