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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. face — to point toward
  3. pit — in a race
  4. net — after costs
  5. file — a tool
  6. key — in music
  7. clip — for paper
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. net — in sport
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. net — for catching
  14. bass — the fish
  15. clip — a video
  16. file — a document
  17. pit — a hole
  18. face — part of the head
  19. key — for a lock
  20. face — to confront
  21. key — the most important part
  22. vault — a safe
  23. bass — low music
  24. clip — to cut

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