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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.

Words on the sheet
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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. vault — a safe
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bear — the animal
  9. wind — moving air
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. wound — an injury
  20. game — a match
  21. bear — the animal
  22. wake — a trail
  23. game — wild animals
  24. wake — before a funeral

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