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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 ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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. row — a quarrel
  4. board — to get on
  5. last — final
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. row — a line
  8. last — to go on
  9. last — finally
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. mug — to rob
  14. vault — a safe
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. pitch — completely
  18. stem — to come from
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. row — to paddle
  21. kick — in football
  22. mug — a face
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. mug — a cup

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