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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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. club — for golf
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wound — an injury
  7. rock — a stone
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. vault — a safe
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. sharp — clever
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. ground — crushed
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. plane — a tool
  16. club — a group
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. club — for dancing
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. ground — a position
  23. rock — music
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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