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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. saw — the tool
  3. vault — a safe
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. firm — decided
  8. saw — the tool
  9. stock — goods
  10. pop — to visit
  11. file — a document
  12. file — a line of people
  13. stock — shares
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. firm — steady
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. file — a tool
  20. firm — a company
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. pop — music
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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