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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.

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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: land · fine · ball · mouse · wound · vault · track · nail

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. fine — all right
  6. land — ground
  7. vault — a safe
  8. ball — a great time
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. fine — high quality
  11. wound — an injury
  12. track — to keep track
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. land — a country
  17. ball — a dance
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. track — a song
  20. track — a path
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. wound — an injury
  24. land — to come down

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