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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. vault — a safe
  5. stock — shares
  6. sharp — clever
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. roll — a list
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. roll — a cake
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. stock — goods
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. perch — the fish
  24. straw — dry grass

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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