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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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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. lean — thin
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. land — ground
  9. wound — an injury
  10. march — music
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. land — a country
  13. foot — a measure
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. land — to come down
  16. wound — an injury
  17. saw — the tool
  18. vault — a safe
  19. march — the month
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. march — the month
  22. lean — to bend
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. saw — the tool

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