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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: nail · file · vault · march · chip · staff · squash · wake

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. march — the month
  3. chip — to eat
  4. chip — for betting
  5. vault — a safe
  6. squash — the sport
  7. wake — a trail
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. march — music
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. file — a document
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. squash — to crush
  17. march — the month
  18. staff — employees
  19. file — a tool
  20. file — a line of people
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. staff — employees
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. staff — a stick

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