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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: cabinet · file · ground · foot · vault · stick · wake · mark

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. file — a line of people
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. file — a tool
  9. ground — the earth
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. file — a document
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. ground — crushed
  16. ground — a position
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. foot — a measure
  21. mark — a grade
  22. vault — a safe
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. wake — a trail

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