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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. object — a thing
  3. spell — letters
  4. fine — high quality
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. file — a tool
  7. file — a line of people
  8. object — to protest
  9. kid — to tease
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. fine — all right
  13. vault — a safe
  14. kid — child
  15. file — a document
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. spell — a short time
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. spell — magic
  23. object — an aim
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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