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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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. mark — a grade
  4. vault — a safe
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. spell — magic
  9. dip — to sink
  10. bear — the animal
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. court — for sport
  13. cold — not warm
  14. bear — the animal
  15. court — of a king
  16. cold — an illness
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. spell — a short time
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. mark — a trace
  21. spell — letters
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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