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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. file — a document
  6. vault — a safe
  7. drill — army training
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. drill — a practice
  10. last — to go on
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. fine — all right
  14. fall — the season
  15. last — finally
  16. last — final
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. drill — the tool
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fall — to drop
  21. file — a tool
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. fine — high quality
  24. calf — a young animal

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