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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 120 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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. drill — a practice
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. mate — to breed
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. vault — a safe
  7. chest — of your body
  8. file — a document
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. chest — of your body
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. drill — army training
  16. board — to get on
  17. chest — a box
  18. board — a committee
  19. mate — a partner
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. mate — a friend
  22. file — a line of people
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. file — a tool

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