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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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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: can · ruler · firm · bay · file · vault · mine · pop

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. can — to be able to
  4. pop — to visit
  5. firm — steady
  6. can — a tin
  7. file — a tool
  8. firm — a company
  9. mine — for digging
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. pop — soda
  12. pop — music
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. can — a tin
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. file — a document
  20. firm — decided
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. vault — a safe
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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