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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. can — to be able to
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. can — a tin
  6. fall — to drop
  7. wind — moving air
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. chip — to eat
  10. chip — for betting
  11. rash — hasty
  12. fall — the season
  13. vault — a safe
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. fork — in a road
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. rash — a series
  18. fall — to drop
  19. can — a tin
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. nail — for a hammer

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