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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 116 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: vault · nail · club · hide · bulb · court · racket · lean

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. club — for golf
  5. club — a group
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. court — of law
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. club — for dancing
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. bulb — for light
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. bulb — for light
  20. lean — to bend
  21. vault — a safe
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. court — of a king
  24. court — for sport

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