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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. vault — a safe
  3. bass — the fish
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. file — a tool
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. kid — to tease
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. file — a document
  11. wake — a trail
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. snap — to click
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. charge — in control
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. drill — a practice
  18. charge — a price
  19. drill — army training
  20. bass — low music
  21. drill — the tool
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. charge — electricity
  24. kid — child

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