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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. object — to protest
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. club — for golf
  5. craft — a skill
  6. craft — boats
  7. vault — a safe
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. club — a group
  13. pitch — completely
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. club — for dancing
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. object — a thing
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. object — an aim

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