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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. pass — a permit
  5. net — in sport
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. vault — a safe
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. chair — a leader
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. net — after costs
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. net — for catching
  24. date — the fruit

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