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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. mate — to breed
  3. net — for catching
  4. suit — in cards
  5. hand — in cards
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. sharp — clever
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. net — after costs
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. mate — a partner
  13. net — in sport
  14. suit — clothes
  15. mate — a friend
  16. hand — help
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. vault — a safe
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. suit — to fit

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