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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.

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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 · saw · clip · bay · rush · nail · stick · land

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. land — to come down
  3. saw — the tool
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. land — a country
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. clip — for paper
  9. saw — the tool
  10. land — ground
  11. clip — a video
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. vault — a safe
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. rush — hurry
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. clip — to cut

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