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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 information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. mate — a friend
  4. mate — a partner
  5. game — wild animals
  6. kid — child
  7. file — a line of people
  8. charge — electricity
  9. charge — in control
  10. mate — to breed
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. kid — to tease
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. file — a tool
  17. vault — a safe
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — the tool
  22. game — a match
  23. charge — a price
  24. game — a kind of play

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