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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: wound · nail · sharp · chair · pop · vault · ground · dip

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. vault — a safe
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. wound — an injury
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. dip — to sink
  14. pop — music
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. ground — the earth
  17. wound — an injury
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. pop — to visit
  20. pop — soda
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. ground — a position
  23. ground — crushed
  24. chair — a leader

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