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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. toast — bread
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. rash — hasty
  9. lean — thin
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. wound — an injury
  13. row — to paddle
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. wound — an injury
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. bound — tied together
  18. row — a line
  19. bound — certain
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. vault — a safe
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. bound — obliged
  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