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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. last — finally
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. march — the month
  5. cold — not warm
  6. board — a committee
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. cold — an illness
  9. march — music
  10. last — final
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. staff — a stick
  15. march — the month
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. staff — employees
  19. vault — a safe
  20. plane — a tool
  21. staff — employees
  22. board — to get on
  23. last — to go on
  24. nail — on a finger

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