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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. bulb — for light
  5. file — a document
  6. deal — to handle
  7. file — a tool
  8. bulb — for light
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. clip — for paper
  16. bat — the animal
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. vault — a safe
  19. clip — a video
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. clip — to cut
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. pitcher — a jug

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