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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. key — the most important part
  3. bound — tied together
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bound — certain
  6. bass — the fish
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. scale — in music
  9. scale — size or range
  10. key — in music
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bound — obliged
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. key — for a lock
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. prune — to trim
  18. vault — a safe
  19. tear — to rip
  20. bass — low music
  21. tear — from crying
  22. prune — to trim
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. tear — from crying

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