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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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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: foot · vault · mug · mate · squash · file · rest · shower

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. mate — a partner
  3. shower — rain
  4. file — a document
  5. rest — what's left
  6. squash — to crush
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. foot — a measure
  9. mug — to rob
  10. mug — a cup
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. shower — to wash
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. file — a tool
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. rest — what's left
  18. mate — a friend
  19. file — a line of people
  20. mate — to breed
  21. squash — the sport
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. vault — a safe
  24. mug — a face

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