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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. vault — a safe
  3. can — a tin
  4. fall — to drop
  5. drill — army training
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. drill — a practice
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. fall — to drop
  11. can — to be able to
  12. bank — for money
  13. can — a tin
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. sharp — clever
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. bank — for money
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. fall — the season
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. bank — of a river
  24. wake — a trail

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