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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 116 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
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: wound · root · squash · vault · spring · can · file · net

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. spring — the season
  3. can — a tin
  4. file — a line of people
  5. can — to be able to
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. squash — the sport
  9. wound — an injury
  10. root — of a plant
  11. root — of a word
  12. net — for catching
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. net — in sport
  15. net — after costs
  16. spring — a coil
  17. can — a tin
  18. root — the cause
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. file — a document
  21. squash — to crush
  22. spring — of water
  23. wound — an injury
  24. file — a tool

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