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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: vault · plane · sharp · root · mine · chip · pass · nail

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. chip — for betting
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. chip — to eat
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. sharp — clever
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. pass — a permit
  10. vault — a safe
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. root — of a word
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. root — the cause
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. root — of a plant
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. mine — for digging
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. plane — a tool

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