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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: leaves · rest · straw · file · ground · board · vault · firm

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. firm — decided
  4. ground — the earth
  5. firm — steady
  6. vault — a safe
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. board — a committee
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. ground — crushed
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. board — to get on
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. rest — what's left
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. file — a line of people
  17. rest — a break
  18. firm — a company
  19. rest — what's left
  20. file — a tool
  21. file — a document
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. ground — a position
  24. board — a flat piece

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