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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. staff — employees
  3. pound — a weight
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. vault — a safe
  6. deal — to handle
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. row — a line
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. staff — employees
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. staff — a stick
  15. firm — decided
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. firm — steady
  20. row — to paddle
  21. firm — a company
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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