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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. spell — magic
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. cap — of ice
  5. spell — a short time
  6. file — a document
  7. file — a line of people
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. cap — a hat
  11. field — for sport
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. deal — to handle
  14. dip — to sink
  15. file — a tool
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. spell — letters
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. field — a subject
  20. cap — a lid
  21. field — farmland
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. vault — a safe

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