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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. rock — music
  3. ball — a great time
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. bear — the animal
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. saw — the tool
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. lean — thin
  12. rash — a series
  13. ground — the earth
  14. ground — crushed
  15. lean — to bend
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. rock — a stone
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. vault — a safe
  20. ball — a dance
  21. rash — hasty
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. bear — the animal
  24. saw — the tool

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