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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 124 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: vault · tear · rule · plane · nail · toast · fan · pound

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. plane — a tool
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. tear — from crying
  5. rule — government
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. vault — a safe
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. rule — a law
  14. tear — from crying
  15. toast — bread
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. pound — a weight
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. tear — to rip
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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