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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 information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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. file — a document
  4. face — to point toward
  5. deal — to handle
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. content — the amount
  8. charge — in control
  9. stock — goods
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. file — a tool
  13. clip — for paper
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. vault — a safe
  16. charge — electricity
  17. clip — a video
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. face — part of the head
  20. clip — to cut
  21. charge — a price
  22. content — happy
  23. stock — shares
  24. face — to confront

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