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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 walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  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 line of people
  2. vault — a safe
  3. lean — to bend
  4. craft — boats
  5. pit — a hole
  6. lean — thin
  7. board — to get on
  8. file — a tool
  9. cap — of ice
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. cap — a hat
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. wax — to grow
  17. pit — in a race
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. cap — a lid
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. board — a committee
  23. craft — a skill
  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