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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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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: rock · file · board · rule · plane · vault · arm · drill

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  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. rock — music
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. rule — a law
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. rock — a stone
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. file — a tool
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. rule — government
  12. plane — a tool
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. drill — a practice
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. drill — the tool
  17. board — to get on
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. vault — a safe
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. board — a committee
  22. drill — army training
  23. file — a line of people
  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