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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.

Words on the sheet
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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. spell — a short time
  3. wound — an injury
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. rest — what's left
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. track — to keep track
  9. rest — a break
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. spell — magic
  12. vault — a safe
  13. rest — what's left
  14. spell — letters
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. wound — an injury
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. wind — moving air
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. track — a song
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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