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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. key — in music
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. last — to go on
  10. key — the most important part
  11. last — finally
  12. rash — a series
  13. last — final
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. vault — a safe
  17. wind — moving air
  18. rash — hasty
  19. key — for a lock
  20. foot — a measure
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. sharp — clever

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