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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. can — to be able to
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. chest — of your body
  6. file — a document
  7. mark — a grade
  8. file — a line of people
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. can — a tin
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. firm — a company
  14. file — a tool
  15. firm — decided
  16. chest — a box
  17. wind — moving air
  18. mark — a trace
  19. wind — moving air
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. firm — steady
  22. vault — a safe
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. chest — of your body

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