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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 120 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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. can — a tin
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. bass — low music
  5. spring — a coil
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. bass — the fish
  8. spring — of water
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. court — of a king
  14. vault — a safe
  15. court — of law
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. can — to be able to
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. spring — the season
  20. stem — to come from
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. can — a tin
  23. court — for sport
  24. nail — for a hammer

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