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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.

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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: file · squash · rock · wave · degree · vault · hand · bear

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. vault — a safe
  4. degree — from a university
  5. file — a document
  6. bear — the animal
  7. hand — in cards
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. degree — temperature
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. hand — help
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. file — a line of people
  16. degree — an amount
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. bear — the animal
  20. rock — music
  21. squash — to crush
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. squash — the sport
  24. rock — a stone

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