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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  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. foot — part of the body
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. vault — a safe
  6. bore — to tire
  7. race — the arms race
  8. fork — in a road
  9. bore — to drill
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. spell — a short time
  12. race — humankind
  13. race — a contest
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. spell — letters
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. ground — crushed
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. spell — magic
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. foot — a measure
  22. ground — a position
  23. ground — the earth
  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