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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: nail · present · cap · firm · stem · vault · file · fork

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. file — a line of people
  6. present — the time now
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. present — there
  11. fork — in a road
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. cap — a hat
  14. cap — of ice
  15. firm — steady
  16. present — a gift
  17. stem — to come from
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. cap — a lid
  20. file — a tool
  21. file — a document
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. firm — a company
  24. vault — a safe

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