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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. vault — a safe
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. bound — certain
  10. bound — tied together
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. wound — an injury
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. game — a match
  18. wake — a trail
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. bound — obliged
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. game — wild animals

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