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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. vault — a safe
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. spring — of water
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. spring — the season
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. dip — to sink
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. fall — to drop
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. board — to get on
  15. board — a committee
  16. file — a document
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. spring — a coil
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fall — the season
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. file — a line of people
  24. dip — a sauce

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