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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. wound — an injury
  4. vault — a safe
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. kid — child
  10. kid — to tease
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. chair — a leader
  13. cold — not warm
  14. cold — an illness
  15. rash — a series
  16. rush — hurry
  17. wound — an injury
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. rash — hasty
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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