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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. fork — in a road
  6. kick — in football
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. file — a tool
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. bound — certain
  11. band — a music group
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. bound — obliged
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. band — a ring
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. bound — tied together
  22. deal — to handle
  23. vault — a safe
  24. file — a document

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