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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: wound · present · file · bore · can · pass · face · vault

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. file — a line of people
  3. face — part of the head
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. can — to be able to
  8. face — to point toward
  9. face — to confront
  10. present — the time now
  11. can — a tin
  12. bore — to tire
  13. wound — an injury
  14. can — a tin
  15. present — there
  16. bore — to drill
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. pass — a permit
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. file — a tool
  23. vault — a safe
  24. file — a document

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