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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. staff — a stick
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. staff — employees
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. perch — the fish
  8. staff — employees
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. kid — child
  11. mug — a face
  12. wind — moving air
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. vault — a safe
  15. mug — to rob
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. stand — to bear
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. kid — to tease
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. mug — a cup

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