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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  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. court — for sport
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. court — of law
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. stem — to come from
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. cue — a signal
  10. cue — for pool
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. court — of a king
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. content — the amount
  18. cue — a hint
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. content — happy
  21. vault — a safe
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. mouse — the animal
  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