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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. pop — to visit
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. saw — the tool
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. pop — soda
  9. vault — a safe
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. wind — moving air
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. bass — low music
  20. bass — the fish
  21. pop — music
  22. wind — moving air
  23. saw — the tool
  24. mouse — the animal

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