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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: vault · nail · face · rash · mine · march

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. rash — hasty
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. march — music
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. vault — a safe
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. face — part of the head
  11. rash — a series
  12. march — the month
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. face — to point toward
  15. march — the month
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. face — to confront
  18. mine — for digging

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