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

Word bank: nail · mouse · root · arm · vault · pound · saw · chest

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. vault — a safe
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. root — of a word
  8. root — the cause
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. pound — a weight
  13. chest — of your body
  14. chest — of your body
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. saw — the tool
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. chest — a box
  23. root — of a plant
  24. saw — the tool

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