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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. drill — a practice
  3. ball — a great time
  4. ground — a position
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. ground — crushed
  7. drill — the tool
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. wax — to grow
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. drill — army training
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. ground — the earth
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. vault — a safe
  23. season — of the year
  24. ball — a dance

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