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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: lean · vault · dip · tube · stand · file · rush · net

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. file — a tool
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. net — for catching
  5. net — after costs
  6. file — a document
  7. tube — a container
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. file — a line of people
  10. tube — the underground
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. stand — to bear
  13. rush — hurry
  14. net — in sport
  15. vault — a safe
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. dip — to sink
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. lean — to bend

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