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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. kick — in football
  3. hand — in cards
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. capital — money
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. hand — help
  9. file — a line of people
  10. squash — to crush
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. club — a group
  13. vault — a safe
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. club — for dancing
  18. club — for golf
  19. capital — a city
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. file — a tool
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. squash — the sport
  24. capital — a big letter

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