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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. saw — the tool
  3. chair — a leader
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. saw — the tool
  6. race — the arms race
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. race — a contest
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. race — humankind
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. vault — a safe
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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