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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. fine — high quality
  5. chip — to eat
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. season — of the year
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. file — a tool
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. file — a document
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. season — in sport
  21. fine — all right
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. chip — for betting
  24. file — a line of people

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