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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. present — there
  3. file — a tool
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. present — the time now
  7. branch — a division
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. land — to come down
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. land — ground
  13. chip — to eat
  14. bulb — for light
  15. present — a gift
  16. chip — for betting
  17. land — a country
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bulb — for light
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. vault — a safe
  22. file — a line of people
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. branch — of a bank

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