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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. ground — a position
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. race — the arms race
  5. ground — crushed
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. wake — a trail
  8. roll — a list
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. race — a contest
  12. ground — the earth
  13. land — to come down
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. land — a country
  18. vault — a safe
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. land — ground
  22. race — humankind
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. roll — a cake

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