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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 116 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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. file — a tool
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. tube — a container
  8. file — a line of people
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. press — a publisher
  14. press — to push
  15. tube — the underground
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. file — a document
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. press — newspapers
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. snap — to click
  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