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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. pass — a permit
  4. vault — a safe
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. file — a line of people
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. file — a document
  17. branch — a division
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. straw — dry grass

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