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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. court — for sport
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. drill — the tool
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. lie — to recline
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. net — for catching
  12. drill — army training
  13. track — a path
  14. net — after costs
  15. court — of law
  16. vault — a safe
  17. track — to keep track
  18. net — in sport
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. court — of a king
  24. track — a song

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