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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: land · nail · net · hide · tear · racket · vault · fall

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. tear — from crying
  4. land — to come down
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. fall — to drop
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. land — a country
  11. net — after costs
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. tear — from crying
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. vault — a safe
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. net — for catching
  19. net — in sport
  20. land — ground
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. tear — to rip
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. fall — to drop

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