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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. file — a line of people
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. lie — to recline
  9. spell — a short time
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. spell — magic
  12. spell — letters
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. tube — the underground
  16. file — a tool
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. file — a document
  24. tube — a container

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