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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 116 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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. file — a tool
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. file — a document
  6. chip — to eat
  7. spring — of water
  8. rest — what's left
  9. saw — the tool
  10. rock — a stone
  11. spring — a coil
  12. file — a line of people
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. saw — the tool
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. game — a match
  18. chip — for betting
  19. rest — what's left
  20. game — wild animals
  21. spring — the season
  22. rest — a break
  23. rock — music
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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