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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 120 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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. firm — steady
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. last — final
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. fork — in a road
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. firm — a company
  13. mark — a grade
  14. band — a ring
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. band — a music group
  17. game — wild animals
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. mark — a trace
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. firm — decided
  22. last — finally
  23. game — a match
  24. vault — a safe

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