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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 ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. board — a committee
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. pit — in a race
  5. vault — a safe
  6. last — finally
  7. last — final
  8. pit — a hole
  9. root — of a word
  10. last — to go on
  11. ground — crushed
  12. root — the cause
  13. ground — the earth
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. band — a ring
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. ground — a position
  20. board — to get on
  21. band — a music group
  22. root — of a plant
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. calf — a young animal

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