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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  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. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. clip — a video
  7. clip — to cut
  8. cap — of ice
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. clip — for paper
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. drill — a practice
  13. drill — the tool
  14. current — happening now
  15. current — of water
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. drill — army training
  19. cap — a hat
  20. cap — a lid
  21. current — electric
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. vault — a safe
  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