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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. rash — a series
  3. file — a tool
  4. rash — hasty
  5. bear — the animal
  6. craft — boats
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. wound — an injury
  9. plane — a tool
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. vault — a safe
  16. file — a document
  17. wound — an injury
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. craft — a skill
  21. pit — a hole
  22. pit — in a race
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. rash — on the skin

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