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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. ground — the earth
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. fall — to drop
  6. race — the arms race
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. tube — the underground
  9. race — a contest
  10. fall — to drop
  11. vault — a safe
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. ground — crushed
  14. fall — the season
  15. net — after costs
  16. net — in sport
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. net — for catching
  19. tube — a container
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. race — humankind
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. mouse — the animal

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