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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.

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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: vault · cabinet · cell · bank · file · field · present · tear

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. field — for sport
  3. present — there
  4. vault — a safe
  5. bank — for money
  6. cell — a phone
  7. tear — from crying
  8. file — a document
  9. field — a subject
  10. file — a tool
  11. bank — of a river
  12. bank — for money
  13. file — a line of people
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. present — the time now
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. field — farmland
  18. present — a gift
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. tear — from crying
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. tear — to rip
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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