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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  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. ground — the earth
  2. last — final
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. lean — thin
  5. ground — crushed
  6. ground — a position
  7. bat — the animal
  8. vault — a safe
  9. fall — to drop
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. last — to go on
  12. lean — to bend
  13. land — a country
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. pass — a permit
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. last — finally
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fall — the season
  20. land — to come down
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. land — ground
  23. bat — in an idiom
  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