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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 ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. file — a line of people
  5. dip — to sink
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. season — of the year
  8. row — to paddle
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. season — in sport
  13. file — a tool
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. row — a line
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. file — a document
  20. vault — a safe
  21. bear — the animal
  22. pound — a weight
  23. bear — the animal
  24. dip — to dunk

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