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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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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: vault · foot · firm · sharp · file · cell · rash · mouse

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. cell — in biology
  4. file — a document
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. vault — a safe
  9. firm — decided
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. cell — a phone
  12. file — a line of people
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. firm — steady
  16. file — a tool
  17. firm — a company
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. rash — a series
  20. rash — hasty
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. foot — a measure
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. mouse — the animal

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