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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: board · file · bat · present · can · mouse · wound · vault

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. can — to be able to
  3. can — a tin
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. wound — an injury
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. present — the time now
  11. file — a line of people
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. can — a tin
  14. file — a tool
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. board — a committee
  17. bat — the animal
  18. board — to get on
  19. wound — an injury
  20. file — a document
  21. present — a gift
  22. vault — a safe
  23. present — there
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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