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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. vault — a safe
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. track — a path
  9. stand — to bear
  10. last — finally
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. chip — for betting
  13. track — to keep track
  14. chip — to eat
  15. fine — high quality
  16. wind — moving air
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. fine — all right
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. track — a song
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. wind — moving air
  24. last — to go on

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