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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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. ground — the earth
  3. bat — the animal
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. ground — crushed
  6. lean — to bend
  7. vault — a safe
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. lie — to recline
  10. bore — to tire
  11. cell — a phone
  12. bore — to drill
  13. cell — in biology
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. spring — a coil
  16. spring — of water
  17. lean — thin
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. ground — a position
  21. spring — the season
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. bat — for baseball

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