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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  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. vault — a safe
  2. track — a song
  3. net — for catching
  4. net — in sport
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. track — a path
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. file — a tool
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. net — after costs
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. file — a document
  17. pass — a permit
  18. track — to keep track
  19. lie — to recline
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. file — a line of people
  23. nail — on a finger
  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