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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. wake — a trail
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. vault — a safe
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. bat — the animal
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. ball — a great time
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. wind — moving air
  23. ball — a dance
  24. nail — on a finger

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