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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 chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bank — for money
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. net — in sport
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. last — to go on
  9. bank — of a river
  10. last — final
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. net — after costs
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. bank — for money
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. kid — to tease
  22. last — finally
  23. vault — a safe
  24. net — for catching

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