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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. row — to paddle
  4. stand — to bear
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. vault — a safe
  7. cell — a phone
  8. press — to push
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. press — a publisher
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. foot — a measure
  14. press — newspapers
  15. cell — in biology
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. row — a line
  18. craft — a skill
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. craft — boats

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