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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 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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. spell — letters
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. firm — decided
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. wound — an injury
  10. firm — steady
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. spell — magic
  13. mine — for digging
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. spell — a short time
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. stand — to bear
  18. firm — a company
  19. wound — an injury
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. vault — a safe
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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