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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. suit — clothes
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. mate — a partner
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. fall — to drop
  8. fall — the season
  9. vault — a safe
  10. mate — a friend
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. suit — to fit
  13. bat — the animal
  14. march — the month
  15. march — the month
  16. march — music
  17. land — a country
  18. fall — to drop
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. suit — in cards
  21. land — ground
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. land — to come down
  24. mate — to breed

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