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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. lean — thin
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. chip — to eat
  5. vault — a safe
  6. bear — the animal
  7. file — a line of people
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. rule — government
  14. rule — a law
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. club — for dancing
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. bear — the animal
  20. chip — for betting
  21. file — a tool
  22. club — for golf
  23. file — a document
  24. lean — to bend

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