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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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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: cell · kid · kick · march · nail · rock · vault · wound

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. wound — an injury
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. wound — an injury
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. march — the month
  11. kick — in football
  12. cell — a phone
  13. march — music
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. cell — in biology
  16. march — the month
  17. kid — to tease
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. kid — child
  21. vault — a safe
  22. rock — a stone
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. rock — music

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