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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: file · last · chest · key · foot · mouse · swing · hand

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. file — a tool
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. foot — a measure
  6. swing — music
  7. chest — a box
  8. chest — of your body
  9. key — for a lock
  10. key — the most important part
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. swing — in golf
  13. file — a line of people
  14. swing — to play on
  15. hand — help
  16. last — finally
  17. last — final
  18. chest — of your body
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. hand — in cards
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. file — a document
  23. key — in music
  24. mouse — the animal

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