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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: hide · stock · squash · march · board · nail · file · vault

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. file — a line of people
  3. march — music
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. march — the month
  10. board — a committee
  11. vault — a safe
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. file — a tool
  15. file — a document
  16. squash — to crush
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. squash — the sport
  19. board — to get on
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. stock — goods
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. stock — shares

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