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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 120 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: band · pound · nail · plane · sharp · file · mouse · vault

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. pound — a weight
  9. file — a document
  10. band — a ring
  11. file — a line of people
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. vault — a safe
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. band — a music group
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. plane — a tool
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. file — a tool

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