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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. file — a document
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. squash — to crush
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. file — a line of people
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. squash — the sport
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. wound — an injury
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. file — a tool
  24. vault — a safe

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