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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. rash — a series
  3. bear — the animal
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. key — in music
  6. vault — a safe
  7. key — the most important part
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. bear — the animal
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. wax — to grow
  19. key — for a lock
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. rash — hasty
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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