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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  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. file — a line of people
  3. cold — not warm
  4. object — an aim
  5. object — a thing
  6. fall — to drop
  7. bore — to tire
  8. file — a document
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. fall — to drop
  11. current — electric
  12. object — to protest
  13. fall — the season
  14. current — happening now
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. kick — in football
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. current — of water
  20. file — a tool
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. cold — an illness
  23. bore — to drill
  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