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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. lean — thin
  3. roll — a cake
  4. vault — a safe
  5. last — final
  6. last — to go on
  7. lean — to bend
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. mug — a face
  10. last — finally
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. race — a contest
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. mug — to rob
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. mug — a cup
  17. race — humankind
  18. roll — a list
  19. race — the arms race
  20. court — for sport
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. court — of law
  23. court — of a king
  24. pitcher — a jug

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