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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 124 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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. tube — a container
  3. dip — to sink
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. hand — in cards
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. scale — in music
  12. vault — a safe
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. board — a committee
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. board — to get on
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. scale — size or range
  23. tube — the underground
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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