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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  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. rock — music
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. ground — a position
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. ground — crushed
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. vault — a safe
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. ground — the earth
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. rock — a stone
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. snap — to click
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. board — a committee
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. board — to get on
  23. fan — a supporter
  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