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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. file — a tool
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. chip — for betting
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. cell — in biology
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. file — a line of people
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. cell — a phone
  12. vault — a safe
  13. rock — a stone
  14. chip — to eat
  15. mate — a partner
  16. mate — a friend
  17. mate — to breed
  18. key — for a lock
  19. rock — music
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. key — the most important part
  23. file — a document
  24. key — in music

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