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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. drill — a practice
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. file — a document
  5. bank — of a river
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. file — a tool
  8. bank — for money
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. ball — a great time
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. drill — the tool
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. bank — for money
  18. file — a line of people
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. court — of a king
  21. vault — a safe
  22. court — for sport
  23. court — of law
  24. drill — army training

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