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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. file — a tool
  3. vault — a safe
  4. file — a document
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. charge — electricity
  8. charge — a price
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. rock — music
  12. rock — a stone
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. file — a line of people
  17. charge — in control
  18. vault — an arched ceiling

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