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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. fall — to drop
  3. key — for a lock
  4. current — happening now
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. key — the most important part
  7. file — a line of people
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. fall — to drop
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. bear — the animal
  12. file — a document
  13. chip — for betting
  14. current — electric
  15. bear — the animal
  16. current — of water
  17. chip — to eat
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. fall — the season
  20. vault — a safe
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. key — in music

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