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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: key · craft · sharp · straw · nail · vault · bound · row

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. sharp — clever
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. row — a line
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. key — in music
  7. key — the most important part
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. bound — obliged
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. craft — a skill
  13. vault — a safe
  14. row — to paddle
  15. craft — boats
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. bound — certain
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. key — for a lock
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. bound — tied together

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