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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. cold — an illness
  3. spell — magic
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. bulb — for light
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. file — a document
  11. bulb — for light
  12. spell — a short time
  13. cold — not warm
  14. vault — a safe
  15. rock — a stone
  16. spell — letters
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. file — a tool
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. file — a line of people
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. rock — music

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