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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. kid — to tease
  5. kid — child
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. wind — moving air
  10. vault — a safe
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. wound — an injury
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. bat — the animal
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. pitch — completely
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. wind — moving air
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. wound — an injury

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