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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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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: rest · present · rush · vault · band · file · straw · pitch

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rest — what's left
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. file — a document
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. present — a gift
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. present — the time now
  11. pitch — completely
  12. file — a line of people
  13. present — there
  14. rest — a break
  15. rush — hurry
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. file — a tool
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. band — a music group
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. vault — a safe
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. band — a ring

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