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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. rest — a break
  3. rest — what's left
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. fall — to drop
  6. charge — electricity
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fall — the season
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. saw — the tool
  12. ground — the earth
  13. vault — a safe
  14. charge — a price
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. wake — a trail
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. rest — what's left
  22. ground — crushed
  23. charge — in control
  24. ground — a position

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