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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. file — a document
  3. chip — for betting
  4. fall — to drop
  5. last — final
  6. roll — a list
  7. vault — a safe
  8. last — to go on
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. fall — the season
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. fall — to drop
  14. file — a line of people
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. file — a tool
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. roll — a cake
  20. plane — a tool
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. prune — to trim
  23. chip — to eat
  24. prune — to trim

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