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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 hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. firm — a company
  3. hand — in cards
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. clip — a video
  8. fine — all right
  9. clip — for paper
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. fine — high quality
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. firm — steady
  14. vault — a safe
  15. hand — help
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. prune — to trim
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. clip — to cut
  20. firm — decided
  21. prune — to trim
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. dip — to sink
  24. nail — for a hammer

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