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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. bank — for money
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. vault — a safe
  8. shower — rain
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. land — to come down
  12. bank — for money
  13. bank — of a river
  14. shower — to wash
  15. drill — the tool
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. drill — army training
  19. drill — a practice
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. land — a country
  24. ruler — a monarch

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