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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. rash — a series
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. wind — moving air
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. vault — a safe
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. pound — a weight
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. wind — moving air
  17. rash — hasty
  18. stem — to come from

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