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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. last — to go on
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. vault — a safe
  6. fall — to drop
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. last — finally
  10. squash — the sport
  11. fall — to drop
  12. squash — to crush
  13. last — final
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. firm — decided
  16. firm — steady
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. fall — the season

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