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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. chest — a box
  4. rest — what's left
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. chest — of your body
  7. land — a country
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. pound — a weight
  11. rest — a break
  12. rash — hasty
  13. land — ground
  14. chest — of your body
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. vault — a safe
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. pass — a permit
  21. rest — what's left
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. land — to come down

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