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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. rest — what's left
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. drill — a practice
  6. craft — boats
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. file — a tool
  9. craft — a skill
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. file — a document
  14. bear — the animal
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. drill — the tool
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. drill — army training
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. rest — a break
  21. bear — the animal
  22. file — a line of people
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. vault — a safe

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