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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 · wake · file · last · mate · ruler · march · pop

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. mate — a partner
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. pop — to visit
  5. pop — music
  6. vault — a safe
  7. march — music
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. file — a document
  10. pop — soda
  11. wake — a trail
  12. last — final
  13. file — a tool
  14. last — finally
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. march — the month
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. mate — to breed
  21. mate — a friend
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. last — to go on
  24. march — the month

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