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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 116 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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. rule — a law
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. capital — money
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. present — a gift
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. capital — a city
  12. plane — a tool
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. game — a match
  17. present — the time now
  18. present — there
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. rule — government
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. vault — a safe
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. game — wild animals

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