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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.

Make a worksheet

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: stem · pitcher · file · ground · straw · mine · cabinet · vault

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. file — a document
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. ground — a position
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. mine — for digging
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. ground — the earth
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. stem — to come from
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. vault — a safe
  22. file — a line of people
  23. ground — crushed
  24. pitcher — a jug

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