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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: chest · current · vault · drill · tear · court · nail · bay

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. drill — the tool
  3. current — electric
  4. current — of water
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. tear — from crying
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. tear — to rip
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. court — of a king
  12. chest — of your body
  13. chest — a box
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. court — of law
  19. tear — from crying
  20. drill — army training
  21. chest — of your body
  22. vault — a safe
  23. current — happening now
  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