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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. wound — an injury
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. ball — a dance
  10. wound — an injury
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. pound — a weight
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. vault — a safe
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. chair — a leader
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. ball — a great time

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