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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. mate — to breed
  4. vault — a safe
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rest — what's left
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. ground — crushed
  10. last — final
  11. mate — a friend
  12. pop — soda
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. pop — to visit
  15. rest — a break
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. last — finally
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. mate — a partner
  21. last — to go on
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. ground — a position
  24. ground — the earth

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