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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 120 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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. saw — the tool
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. foot — a measure
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. vault — a safe
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. band — a ring
  10. charge — electricity
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. band — a music group
  13. saw — the tool
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. bass — the fish
  16. charge — a price
  17. mine — for digging
  18. file — a line of people
  19. file — a tool
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. charge — in control
  22. file — a document
  23. bass — low music
  24. mine — belonging to me

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