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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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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 · toast · bear · stick · root · vault · cell · roll

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  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. cell — a phone
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. roll — a cake
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. roll — a list
  9. vault — a safe
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. root — of a word
  12. cell — in biology
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. root — the cause
  17. toast — bread
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. bear — the animal
  20. root — of a plant
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  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