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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fine · vault · fan · swing · rest · file · bay · rule

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. swing — in golf
  4. file — a tool
  5. rest — what's left
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. swing — music
  10. vault — a safe
  11. file — a document
  12. file — a line of people
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. fine — all right
  15. fine — high quality
  16. rule — government
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. rule — a law
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. rest — a break
  22. swing — to play on
  23. rest — what's left
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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