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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 teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. prune — to trim
  4. wound — an injury
  5. chip — to eat
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. roll — a cake
  8. ground — a position
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. ground — crushed
  13. snap — to click
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. vault — a safe
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. ground — the earth
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. prune — to trim
  21. wound — an injury
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. chip — for betting

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