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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 120 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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. rock — a stone
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. chest — of your body
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. chest — of your body
  10. rock — music
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. pop — soda
  13. rush — hurry
  14. chest — a box
  15. vault — a safe
  16. rash — hasty
  17. rash — a series
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. root — of a word
  20. root — the cause
  21. pop — music
  22. wind — moving air
  23. root — of a plant
  24. pop — to visit

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