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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  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. lean — to rest against
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. bank — for money
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. bank — for money
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. scale — size or range
  11. bank — of a river
  12. scale — in music
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. lean — to bend
  17. foot — a measure
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. lean — thin
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. mine — for digging
  23. mine — an explosive
  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