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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. march — the month
  9. hand — in cards
  10. vault — a safe
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — to be able to
  13. track — a song
  14. can — a tin
  15. march — music
  16. march — the month
  17. present — the time now
  18. track — a path
  19. present — a gift
  20. rash — a series
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. present — there
  23. hand — help
  24. rash — hasty

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