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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're on a ________________ here.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. last — finally
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. vault — a safe
  5. last — final
  6. wound — an injury
  7. last — to go on
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. foot — a measure
  12. wound — an injury
  13. kick — in football
  14. bore — to tire
  15. roll — a list
  16. lean — to bend
  17. bore — to drill
  18. lean — thin
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. roll — a cake
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. foot — part of the body

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