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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. drill — the tool
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. bear — the animal
  5. shower — rain
  6. branch — a division
  7. vault — a safe
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. shower — to wash
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. drill — a practice
  14. wound — an injury
  15. file — a document
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. drill — army training
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. bear — the animal
  22. file — a tool
  23. wound — an injury
  24. pass — a permit

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