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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: plane · deal · nail · kick · row · can · dip · vault

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. can — a tin
  3. can — a tin
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. vault — a safe
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. dip — to sink
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. row — a line
  11. deal — to handle
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. plane — a tool
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. can — to be able to
  20. kick — in football
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. row — to paddle

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