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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 124 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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. ball — a great time
  6. cell — in biology
  7. current — of water
  8. rush — hurry
  9. capital — money
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. capital — a city
  12. face — to point toward
  13. ball — a dance
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. current — electric
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. face — to confront
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. cell — a phone
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. face — part of the head
  23. current — happening now
  24. vault — a safe

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