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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. net — for catching
  3. net — after costs
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. field — farmland
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. bound — tied together
  11. lean — to bend
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. field — a subject
  15. lean — thin
  16. net — in sport
  17. vault — a safe
  18. bound — obliged
  19. field — for sport
  20. charge — electricity
  21. charge — a price
  22. charge — in control
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. bound — certain

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