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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. object — to protest
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pound — a weight
  8. wake — a trail
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. object — an aim
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. chest — of your body
  14. chest — of your body
  15. file — a document
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. file — a tool
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. vault — a safe
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. object — a thing
  23. file — a line of people
  24. pitcher — a jug

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