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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. spring — a coil
  4. wind — moving air
  5. fall — to drop
  6. ground — crushed
  7. charge — in control
  8. wind — moving air
  9. charge — electricity
  10. rock — a stone
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. vault — a safe
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. spring — of water
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. spring — the season
  18. ground — the earth
  19. fall — to drop
  20. charge — a price
  21. ground — a position
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. rock — music
  24. fall — the season

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