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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. vault — a safe
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. chip — to eat
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. bass — low music
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. bark — to shout
  14. wound — an injury
  15. cell — in biology
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. wound — an injury
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. chip — for betting
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. bass — the fish
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. rush — hurry
  24. cell — a phone

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