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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. 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. mine — an explosive
  2. ground — crushed
  3. firm — a company
  4. file — a tool
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. firm — steady
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. mine — for digging
  11. bound — certain
  12. firm — decided
  13. ground — a position
  14. vault — a safe
  15. file — a document
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. ground — the earth
  18. bound — obliged
  19. bound — tied together
  20. file — a line of people
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. 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