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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. clip — a video
  7. mark — a trace
  8. file — a line of people
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. rash — hasty
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. mark — a grade
  15. clip — for paper
  16. vault — a safe
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. clip — to cut
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. rash — a series
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. file — a tool

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