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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 120 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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. lie — to recline
  3. row — a line
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. spell — a short time
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. row — to paddle
  11. spell — magic
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. land — a country
  14. pit — in a race
  15. pit — a hole
  16. land — ground
  17. spell — letters
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. file — a line of people
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. file — a tool
  22. land — to come down
  23. vault — a safe
  24. fork — in a road

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