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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. file — a document
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. ball — a dance
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. cap — a hat
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. cap — of ice
  11. cap — a lid
  12. rest — what's left
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. rest — what's left
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. vault — a safe
  18. rest — a break
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. file — a tool
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. file — a line of people
  24. ball — a great time

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