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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 120 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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  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. cap — of ice
  2. hand — help
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. club — a group
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. hand — in cards
  10. tear — from crying
  11. tear — to rip
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. pit — in a race
  15. club — for dancing
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. pit — a hole
  18. cap — a hat
  19. tear — from crying
  20. cap — a lid
  21. club — for golf
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. nail — on a finger
  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