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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — for light
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. bat — the animal
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. vault — a safe
  11. present — there
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. field — a subject
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. current — of water
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. current — electric
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. field — for sport
  21. present — a gift
  22. field — farmland
  23. present — the time now
  24. current — happening now

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