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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. band — a music group
  5. file — a document
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. cap — a lid
  8. band — a ring
  9. saw — the tool
  10. vault — a safe
  11. file — a line of people
  12. prune — to trim
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. cap — a hat
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. can — a tin
  17. cap — of ice
  18. can — to be able to
  19. hand — help
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. hand — in cards
  22. file — a tool
  23. can — a tin
  24. prune — to trim

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