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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 · dip · track · rest · season · file · rock · roll

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. season — of the year
  3. roll — a list
  4. file — a document
  5. rest — what's left
  6. track — a song
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. track — to keep track
  10. file — a tool
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. file — a line of people
  14. rock — music
  15. rest — a break
  16. roll — a cake
  17. rock — a stone
  18. track — a path
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. vault — a safe
  21. season — in sport
  22. dip — to sink
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. dip — a sauce

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