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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: lean · patient · pound · nail · bowl · wound · vault · net

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. lean — thin
  6. pound — a weight
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. net — for catching
  13. wound — an injury
  14. vault — a safe
  15. wound — an injury
  16. net — after costs
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. lean — to bend
  21. net — in sport
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. nail — for a hammer

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