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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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Word bank
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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: file · wind · cabinet · shower · hide · vault

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. wind — moving air
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. file — a tool
  7. file — a line of people
  8. shower — to wash
  9. shower — rain
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. wind — moving air
  12. vault — a safe
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. cabinet — a cupboard

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