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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. ball — a dance
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. file — a document
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. deal — to handle
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. field — farmland
  16. file — a tool
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. stem — to come from
  19. field — a subject
  20. mine — for digging
  21. vault — a safe
  22. field — for sport
  23. ball — a great time
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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