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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. stock — shares
  6. vault — a safe
  7. shower — to wash
  8. staff — employees
  9. staff — employees
  10. degree — an amount
  11. degree — from a university
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. stock — goods
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. mug — a cup
  17. staff — a stick
  18. mug — to rob
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. degree — temperature
  23. mug — a face
  24. shower — rain

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