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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. hand — in cards
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. track — to keep track
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. wake — a trail
  15. track — a path
  16. hand — help
  17. file — a document
  18. chest — of your body
  19. file — a line of people
  20. track — a song
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. vault — a safe
  23. chest — a box
  24. chest — of your body

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