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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 116 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 drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. field — a subject
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. vault — a safe
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. wound — an injury
  9. field — farmland
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. wound — an injury
  12. face — part of the head
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. capital — a city
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. face — to confront
  20. field — for sport
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. capital — money
  23. face — to point toward
  24. lie — to recline

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