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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bat — the animal
  6. bulb — for light
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. vault — a safe
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. sharp — clever
  15. scale — size or range
  16. scale — in music
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. arm — part of the body

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