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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 120 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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. mark — a grade
  3. drill — the tool
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. vault — a safe
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. drill — a practice
  15. plane — a tool
  16. drill — army training
  17. mark — a trace
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. pitch — completely
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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