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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. bear — the animal
  4. cold — not warm
  5. firm — decided
  6. mark — a grade
  7. charge — a price
  8. cold — an illness
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. firm — a company
  13. shower — rain
  14. vault — a safe
  15. ball — a dance
  16. charge — in control
  17. charge — electricity
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. ball — a great time
  20. mark — a trace
  21. firm — steady
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. shower — to wash
  24. bear — the animal

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