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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: vault · pound · charge · safe · clip · lean · deal · nail

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. lean — thin
  5. clip — for paper
  6. charge — electricity
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. charge — in control
  9. lean — to bend
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. vault — a safe
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. deal — to handle
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. clip — to cut
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. charge — a price
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. clip — a video
  23. pound — a weight
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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