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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 drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. hand — in cards
  3. kick — in football
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. season — of the year
  6. court — of law
  7. tube — a container
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. season — in sport
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. court — for sport
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. tube — the underground
  18. vault — a safe
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. hand — help
  23. court — of a king
  24. kick — with a leg

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