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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 120 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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. capital — money
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. capital — a city
  7. wound — an injury
  8. saw — the tool
  9. vault — a safe
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. kid — to tease
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. pound — a weight
  16. wound — an injury
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. kid — child
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. saw — the tool
  24. nail — on a finger

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