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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 walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. firm — decided
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. firm — steady
  5. bound — obliged
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. tear — from crying
  8. bound — tied together
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. file — a tool
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. tear — to rip
  16. tear — from crying
  17. vault — a safe
  18. land — to come down
  19. land — a country
  20. file — a document
  21. firm — a company
  22. bound — certain
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. land — ground

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