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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
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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: cabinet · vault · squash · hand · rash · present · roll · file

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. rash — a series
  3. rash — hasty
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. present — a gift
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. squash — to crush
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. file — a document
  10. present — there
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. squash — the sport
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. hand — help
  18. hand — in cards
  19. roll — a list
  20. file — a line of people
  21. roll — a cake
  22. present — the time now
  23. file — a tool
  24. squash — the vegetable

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