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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 ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. chip — for betting
  4. vault — a safe
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. object — to protest
  8. tear — from crying
  9. tear — from crying
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. cue — a hint
  12. tear — to rip
  13. object — a thing
  14. chip — to eat
  15. cue — a signal
  16. chair — a leader
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. cue — for pool
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. object — an aim
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. mine — for digging

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