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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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Word bank
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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. lean — to bend
  3. vault — a safe
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. cold — not warm
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. spring — of water
  11. lean — thin
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. spring — the season
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. spring — a coil
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. cold — an illness
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. cold — the Cold War

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