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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. craft — boats
  4. shower — rain
  5. fine — all right
  6. perch — the fish
  7. shower — to wash
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. cue — a signal
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. craft — a skill
  16. fine — high quality
  17. cue — for pool
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. spring — of water
  20. spring — a coil
  21. spring — the season
  22. cue — a hint
  23. vault — a safe
  24. craft — a handicraft

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