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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. file — a tool
  3. file — a document
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. tube — a container
  6. vault — a safe
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. snap — to click
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. present — there
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. season — of the year
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. tube — the underground
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. season — in sport
  19. file — a line of people
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. rush — hurry
  22. present — a gift
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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