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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  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 — on a finger
  2. vault — a safe
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. mate — a partner
  5. root — of a word
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. saw — the tool
  9. root — the cause
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. bound — tied together
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. saw — the tool
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. stock — goods
  16. root — of a plant
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. bound — obliged
  19. mate — to breed
  20. mate — a friend
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. bound — certain
  23. stock — shares
  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