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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: nail · mine · leaves · object · arm · last · straw · vault

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. vault — a safe
  6. object — an aim
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. last — to go on
  11. object — to protest
  12. object — a thing
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. last — final
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. mine — for digging
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. straw — a straw man

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