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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. fork — in a road
  5. file — a tool
  6. file — a document
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. saw — the tool
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. rock — music
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. saw — the tool
  21. file — a line of people
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. rock — a stone

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