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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. vault — a safe
  7. plane — a tool
  8. craft — a skill
  9. stem — to come from
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. craft — boats
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. mine — for digging
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. mine — belonging to me

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