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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: vault · fall · lean · mug · drill · current · file · squash

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. current — happening now
  3. current — of water
  4. drill — army training
  5. mug — to rob
  6. mug — a cup
  7. current — electric
  8. fall — the season
  9. lean — thin
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. fall — to drop
  12. mug — a face
  13. drill — the tool
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. lean — to bend
  16. file — a line of people
  17. drill — a practice
  18. file — a tool
  19. squash — the sport
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. fall — to drop
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. vault — a safe
  24. file — a document

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