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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 ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. vault — a safe
  5. lean — to bend
  6. wound — an injury
  7. tube — the underground
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. tube — a container
  10. mate — a partner
  11. wound — an injury
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. lean — thin
  14. ground — a position
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. mate — a friend
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. mate — to breed
  19. hand — help
  20. hand — in cards
  21. ground — the earth
  22. ground — crushed
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. nail — on a finger

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