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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. file — a document
  3. rule — a law
  4. plane — a tool
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. wake — a trail
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. rule — government
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. file — a line of people
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. vault — a safe
  19. fork — in a road
  20. file — a tool
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. nail — for a hammer

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