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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. wake — a trail
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. net — in sport
  8. face — part of the head
  9. net — for catching
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. net — after costs
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. face — to point toward
  15. face — to confront
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. date — the fruit
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. saw — the tool
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. vault — a safe
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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