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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: trunk · march · nail · bear · pound · board · vault · sharp

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. sharp — clever
  6. march — the month
  7. vault — a safe
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. pound — a weight
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. march — the month
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. board — a committee
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. march — music
  22. board — to get on
  23. bear — the animal
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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