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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 124 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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. can — a tin
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. can — a tin
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. scale — in music
  8. can — to be able to
  9. plane — a tool
  10. game — wild animals
  11. chest — of your body
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. scale — size or range
  14. chest — a box
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. vault — a safe
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. spring — of water
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. chest — of your body
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. game — a match
  24. spring — a coil

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