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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 · vault · wake · saw · file · perch · game · hide

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. wake — a trail
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. file — a tool
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. perch — the fish
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. saw — the tool
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. file — a document
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. file — a line of people
  19. vault — a safe
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. game — a match
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. game — wild animals
  24. nail — for a hammer

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