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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. wound — an injury
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. ground — crushed
  11. lean — thin
  12. tear — to rip
  13. board — a committee
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. lean — to bend
  16. wound — an injury
  17. ground — the earth
  18. board — to get on
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. vault — a safe
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. tear — from crying
  23. tear — from crying
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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