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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. cap — of ice
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. shower — to wash
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. cap — a hat
  11. season — in sport
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. shower — rain
  14. fall — to drop
  15. season — of the year
  16. fall — the season
  17. wound — an injury
  18. vault — a safe
  19. cap — a lid
  20. fall — to drop
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. wake — a trail
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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