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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. last — to go on
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. file — a tool
  7. vault — a safe
  8. last — finally
  9. file — a document
  10. scale — in music
  11. rush — hurry
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. net — for catching
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. last — final
  18. net — after costs
  19. lean — to bend
  20. net — in sport
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. lean — thin
  23. scale — size or range
  24. arm — a part of something

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