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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: bay · root · nail · vault · wound · straw · hand · mug

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. root — the cause
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. root — of a word
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. wound — an injury
  7. hand — in cards
  8. mug — to rob
  9. hand — help
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. mug — a face
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. root — of a plant
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. vault — a safe
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. mug — a cup

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