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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. file — a document
  3. pit — in a race
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. file — a line of people
  6. tube — a container
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. fine — all right
  12. fine — high quality
  13. wake — a trail
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. pit — a hole
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. file — a tool
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. vault — a safe
  24. tube — the underground

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