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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. pound — a weight
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. shower — rain
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. sharp — clever
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. plane — a tool
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. bore — to tire
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. vault — a safe
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. shower — to wash
  23. bore — to drill
  24. nail — on a finger

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