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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. kick — in football
  3. vault — a safe
  4. cap — a hat
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. can — a tin
  9. cap — a lid
  10. shower — to wash
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. can — a tin
  14. lean — thin
  15. can — to be able to
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. cap — of ice
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. lean — to bend
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. shower — rain

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