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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 bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. ground — the earth
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. vault — a safe
  9. ground — a position
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. wound — an injury
  13. lean — to bend
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. wound — an injury
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. bat — the animal
  21. lean — thin
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. ground — crushed
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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