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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. file — a line of people
  4. bulb — for light
  5. saw — the tool
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. vault — a safe
  9. spring — a coil
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. clip — to cut
  12. clip — a video
  13. clip — for paper
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. saw — the tool
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. spring — the season
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. spring — of water
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. file — a document
  22. stand — to bear
  23. snap — to click
  24. bulb — for light

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