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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 116 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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. file — a document
  3. file — a line of people
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. cap — a lid
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. cap — of ice
  9. ground — crushed
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. cap — a hat
  13. ball — a dance
  14. ground — the earth
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. saw — the tool
  17. file — a tool
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. vault — a safe
  20. ball — a great time
  21. saw — the tool
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. lie — to recline

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