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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. object — a thing
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. chip — to eat
  5. vault — a safe
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. wind — moving air
  9. present — the time now
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. present — a gift
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. chip — for betting
  16. object — to protest
  17. season — of the year
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. present — there
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. wind — moving air
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. object — an aim

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