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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: arm · squash · deal · pound · band · rock · file · vault

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. squash — the sport
  4. rock — a stone
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. file — a document
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. squash — to crush
  11. rock — music
  12. band — a ring
  13. file — a line of people
  14. band — a music group
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. file — a tool
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. vault — a safe
  22. deal — to handle
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. pound — a weight

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