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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: rule · file · vault · straw · nail · pit

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. file — a tool
  4. file — a document
  5. pit — in a race
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. rule — a law
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. vault — a safe
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. rule — government
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. file — a line of people

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