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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. file — a line of people
  3. file — a tool
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. vault — a safe
  9. charge — a price
  10. charge — in control
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. bass — low music
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. file — a document
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. bass — the fish

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