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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 · rush · saw · mate · tear · scale · pop · vault

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. tear — to rip
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. file — a tool
  5. mate — a friend
  6. file — a document
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. saw — the tool
  9. file — a line of people
  10. tear — from crying
  11. vault — a safe
  12. scale — size or range
  13. mate — to breed
  14. scale — in music
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. pop — to visit
  17. mate — a partner
  18. pop — music
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. saw — the tool
  22. rush — hurry
  23. pop — soda
  24. tear — from crying

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