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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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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 · press · file · sharp · band · shower · rule · saw

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. press — to push
  5. file — a line of people
  6. band — a music group
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. shower — to wash
  9. rule — a law
  10. saw — the tool
  11. press — newspapers
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. press — a publisher
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. rule — government
  17. vault — a safe
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. sharp — clever
  20. file — a tool
  21. saw — the tool
  22. band — a ring
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. shower — rain

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