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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. bulb — for light
  4. wind — moving air
  5. ground — the earth
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. sharp — clever
  8. ground — crushed
  9. ground — a position
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. vault — a safe
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. last — finally
  20. last — final
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. bulb — for light
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. wind — moving air

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