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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. field — farmland
  4. chest — a box
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. deal — to handle
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. field — for sport
  14. chest — of your body
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. plane — a tool
  19. chest — of your body
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. vault — a safe
  23. lie — to recline
  24. field — a subject

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