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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 116 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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. fine — high quality
  3. rest — what's left
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. perch — the fish
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. wound — an injury
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. vault — a safe
  17. rest — what's left
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. lean — thin
  20. rest — a break
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. wound — an injury
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. lean — to bend

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