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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 information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. rush — hurry
  4. file — a tool
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. vault — a safe
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. lie — to recline
  13. branch — a division
  14. deal — to handle
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. current — happening now
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. file — a line of people
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. current — of water
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. chair — a leader
  24. current — electric

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