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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 ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. bound — obliged
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. wound — an injury
  5. object — an aim
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bound — certain
  9. mate — a friend
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. wound — an injury
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. mate — a partner
  15. cap — a lid
  16. mate — to breed
  17. cap — a hat
  18. cap — of ice
  19. object — a thing
  20. vault — a safe
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. bound — tied together
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. object — to protest

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