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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 ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. vault — a safe
  3. field — for sport
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. field — farmland
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. stand — to bear
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. field — a subject
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. bore — to drill
  19. pass — a permit
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. bore — to tire
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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