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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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. firm — decided
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. roll — a list
  5. vault — a safe
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. dip — to sink
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. firm — a company
  11. lean — to bend
  12. roll — a cake
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. firm — steady
  16. lean — thin
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. craft — boats
  23. craft — a skill
  24. roll — on a roll

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