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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. vault — a safe
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cap — a hat
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. wake — a trail
  12. cap — a lid
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. branch — a division
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. dip — to sink
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. cap — of ice
  24. wake — before a funeral

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