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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: last · mug · ground · band · vault · mine · firm · nail

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. firm — a company
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. band — a music group
  6. ground — crushed
  7. last — to go on
  8. mug — a face
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. band — a ring
  11. ground — a position
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. firm — decided
  16. last — final
  17. mug — a cup
  18. ground — the earth
  19. last — finally
  20. vault — a safe
  21. firm — steady
  22. mug — to rob
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. mine — an explosive

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