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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. saw — the tool
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. race — a contest
  5. race — the arms race
  6. wake — a trail
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. race — humankind
  9. land — to come down
  10. land — a country
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. land — ground
  17. rock — music
  18. vault — a safe
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. rock — a stone
  22. saw — the tool
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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