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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 124 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: dip · key · row · file · vault · chest · fine · nail

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  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. fine — all right
  3. chest — of your body
  4. dip — to sink
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. key — for a lock
  8. chest — of your body
  9. file — a line of people
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. fine — high quality
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. row — to paddle
  17. key — the most important part
  18. file — a tool
  19. chest — a box
  20. row — a line
  21. file — a document
  22. vault — a safe
  23. key — in music
  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