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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 120 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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. drill — army training
  5. track — to keep track
  6. race — the arms race
  7. cue — a hint
  8. track — a song
  9. race — a contest
  10. vault — a safe
  11. cue — a signal
  12. drill — the tool
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. track — a path
  18. drill — a practice
  19. race — humankind
  20. branch — a division
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. cue — for pool
  24. nail — for a hammer

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