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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: nail · vault · club · root · lie · game · clip · fan

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. root — of a word
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. lie — to recline
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. clip — to cut
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. vault — a safe
  10. game — wild animals
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. clip — for paper
  13. clip — a video
  14. root — the cause
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. club — for golf
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. root — of a plant
  21. club — for dancing
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. game — a match
  24. club — a group

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