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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: drill · hand · nail · lie · pitcher · vault · sharp · cue

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. cue — for pool
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. drill — army training
  7. drill — a practice
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. cue — a hint
  11. vault — a safe
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. drill — the tool
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. cue — a signal
  17. hand — help
  18. lie — to recline
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. sharp — clever
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. hand — in cards

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