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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. wound — an injury
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. rush — hurry
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. saw — the tool
  9. land — to come down
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. plane — a tool
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. rule — government
  17. land — ground
  18. vault — a safe
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. land — a country
  21. rule — a law
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. wound — an injury
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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