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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. file — a line of people
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. bat — the animal
  8. rest — what's left
  9. fall — to drop
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. file — a document
  12. swing — music
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. rest — what's left
  15. fall — to drop
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. swing — to play on
  19. vault — a safe
  20. rest — a break
  21. toast — bread
  22. swing — in golf
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. file — a tool

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