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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: stock · file · rest · cabinet · hand · sharp · jam · vault

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  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. file — a line of people
  2. sharp — clever
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. rest — a break
  5. vault — a safe
  6. rest — what's left
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. hand — in cards
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. stock — shares
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. hand — help
  14. file — a tool
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. stock — goods
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. file — a document
  21. rest — what's left
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. stock — a soup base
  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