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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. pop — music
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. file — a line of people
  5. pop — to visit
  6. file — a document
  7. current — of water
  8. pop — soda
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. rash — a series
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. current — happening now
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. current — electric
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. dip — to sink
  22. file — a tool
  23. plane — a tool
  24. rash — hasty

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