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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. file — a tool
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. vault — a safe
  7. clip — for paper
  8. current — of water
  9. wound — an injury
  10. current — electric
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. object — a thing
  14. clip — a video
  15. current — happening now
  16. clip — to cut
  17. file — a document
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. saw — the tool
  20. object — an aim
  21. object — to protest
  22. saw — the tool
  23. wound — an injury
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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