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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. vault — a safe
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. bound — tied together
  6. band — a music group
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. season — in sport
  10. bound — certain
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. pit — a hole
  15. toast — bread
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. season — of the year
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. pit — in a race
  22. bound — obliged
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. band — a ring

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