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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wake · vault · squash · net · file · game · rest · bore

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. net — for catching
  3. game — a match
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. file — a document
  7. vault — a safe
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. rest — a break
  10. bore — to drill
  11. file — a line of people
  12. net — after costs
  13. bore — to tire
  14. squash — the sport
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. rest — what's left
  17. wake — a trail
  18. game — wild animals
  19. file — a tool
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. squash — to crush
  23. net — in sport
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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