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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. spring — the season
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. spring — a coil
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. fork — in a road
  10. spring — of water
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. wound — an injury
  15. vault — a safe
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. wound — an injury
  20. last — final
  21. last — finally
  22. bat — the animal
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. last — to go on

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