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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. mate — a partner
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. mate — to breed
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. vault — a safe
  12. rock — a stone
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. rock — music
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. face — to point toward
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. face — to confront
  20. mate — a friend
  21. chair — a leader
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. face — part of the head
  24. wave — of the sea

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