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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.

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: mate · chip · spell · plane · nail · face · wound · vault

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. mate — a partner
  4. vault — a safe
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. spell — magic
  7. mate — a friend
  8. plane — a tool
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. spell — letters
  13. face — to confront
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. mate — to breed
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. chip — to eat
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. wound — an injury
  20. chip — for betting
  21. face — part of the head
  22. spell — a short time
  23. face — to point toward
  24. plane — in geometry

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