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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  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 tool
  2. cell — a phone
  3. charge — electricity
  4. row — a line
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. tear — from crying
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. row — to paddle
  9. charge — in control
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. vault — a safe
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. tear — to rip
  16. cell — in biology
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. file — a line of people
  21. tear — from crying
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. charge — a price
  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