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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. rash — a series
  3. ground — crushed
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. race — the arms race
  6. wound — an injury
  7. fall — the season
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. race — a contest
  10. court — of a king
  11. wound — an injury
  12. vault — a safe
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. fall — to drop
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. ground — a position
  20. race — humankind
  21. court — of law
  22. rash — hasty
  23. court — for sport
  24. fall — to drop

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