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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 · sharp · vault · rule · leaves · dip · ball

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. file — a tool
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. dip — to sink
  11. ball — a great time
  12. sharp — clever
  13. rule — a law
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. rule — government
  17. file — a document
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. file — a line of people
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. vault — a safe
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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