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

Word bank: chest · chair · vault · file · bay · ruler

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. vault — a safe
  3. file — a document
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. chair — a leader
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. chest — of your body
  11. file — a tool
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. chest — a box
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. chest — of your body
  18. ruler — a monarch

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