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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. scale — in music
  4. vault — a safe
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. mark — a grade
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. row — to paddle
  9. row — a line
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. scale — size or range
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. spring — of water
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. spring — the season
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. mark — a trace
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. spring — a coil
  23. lean — thin
  24. lean — to bend

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