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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. tube — the underground
  6. file — a document
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. rash — hasty
  10. rash — a series
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. charge — in control
  13. charge — electricity
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. tube — a container
  16. prune — to trim
  17. charge — a price
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. prune — to trim
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. toast — bread
  22. file — a line of people
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. vault — a safe

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