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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. vault — a safe
  3. current — of water
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. file — a line of people
  8. current — happening now
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. file — a tool
  12. shower — rain
  13. capital — a city
  14. capital — money
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. shower — to wash
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. file — a document
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. current — electric
  24. wave — of the sea

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