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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. fall — to drop
  3. ground — crushed
  4. rock — a stone
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. fall — to drop
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. net — after costs
  9. vault — a safe
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. fall — the season
  12. race — humankind
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. file — a line of people
  15. file — a tool
  16. race — the arms race
  17. net — for catching
  18. net — in sport
  19. ground — a position
  20. ground — the earth
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. rock — music
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. race — a contest

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