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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. row — to paddle
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. cell — in biology
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. row — a line
  10. file — a tool
  11. rash — hasty
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. file — a document
  14. present — the time now
  15. present — a gift
  16. vault — a safe
  17. track — to keep track
  18. track — a path
  19. file — a line of people
  20. rash — a series
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. cell — a phone
  24. present — there

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