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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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. drill — the tool
  3. bear — the animal
  4. vault — a safe
  5. ground — the earth
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. file — a document
  8. file — a tool
  9. ground — crushed
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. file — a line of people
  16. drill — a practice
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. prune — to trim
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. ground — a position
  22. rush — hurry
  23. bear — the animal
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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