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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. vault — a safe
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. mine — for digging
  7. shower — rain
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. net — for catching
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. net — after costs
  18. squash — to crush
  19. wax — to grow
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. shower — to wash
  22. squash — the sport
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. mine — an explosive

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