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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  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. rest — what's left
  2. toast — bread
  3. foot — a measure
  4. file — a tool
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. file — a line of people
  9. rest — what's left
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. vault — a safe
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. board — a committee
  16. saw — the tool
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. board — to get on
  21. rest — a break
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  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