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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 116 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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  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. pitch — completely
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. lean — to bend
  9. shower — rain
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. net — after costs
  15. net — in sport
  16. lean — thin
  17. saw — the tool
  18. shower — to wash
  19. net — for catching
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. vault — a safe
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  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