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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. shower — rain
  5. file — a tool
  6. pop — music
  7. file — a line of people
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. vault — a safe
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. bass — the fish
  13. pop — to visit
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. chip — for betting
  18. bass — low music
  19. rest — what's left
  20. file — a document
  21. pop — soda
  22. shower — to wash
  23. chip — to eat
  24. rest — what's left

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