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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. ground — the earth
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. kid — to tease
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. vault — a safe
  8. ground — a position
  9. track — a path
  10. track — to keep track
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. season — of the year
  13. ground — crushed
  14. season — in sport
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. track — a song
  17. kid — child
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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