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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: pitcher · cold · bulb · vault · rest · file · nail · current

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. rest — what's left
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. current — of water
  5. file — a line of people
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. vault — a safe
  8. rest — a break
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. current — electric
  13. cold — an illness
  14. file — a tool
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. file — a document
  17. bulb — for light
  18. rest — what's left
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. cold — not warm
  23. current — happening now
  24. bulb — for light

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