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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. track — a song
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. fine — all right
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. vault — a safe
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. board — to get on
  10. saw — the tool
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. board — a committee
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. track — a path
  20. saw — the tool
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. chair — a leader
  23. track — to keep track
  24. fine — high quality

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