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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: ruler · file · deal · vault · chest · last · plane · row

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. chest — a box
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. last — final
  7. file — a document
  8. file — a line of people
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. chest — of your body
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. file — a tool
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. last — finally
  16. chest — of your body
  17. deal — to handle
  18. plane — a tool
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. last — to go on
  23. row — to paddle
  24. row — a line

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