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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 ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. row — to paddle
  3. row — a line
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. face — to confront
  8. vault — a safe
  9. branch — a division
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. deal — to handle
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. face — to point toward
  14. snap — to click
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. bat — the animal
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. face — part of the head
  24. row — a quarrel

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