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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 116 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 ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. rest — a break
  5. wound — an injury
  6. rest — what's left
  7. vault — a safe
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. wound — an injury
  11. scale — size or range
  12. ground — a position
  13. club — for dancing
  14. club — for golf
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. rush — hurry
  17. rest — what's left
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. club — a group
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. ground — the earth
  22. scale — in music
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. ground — crushed

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