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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 120 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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. game — a match
  3. foot — a measure
  4. wake — a trail
  5. lean — thin
  6. rest — what's left
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. rest — what's left
  10. ground — a position
  11. wound — an injury
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. rest — a break
  15. lean — to bend
  16. ground — crushed
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. vault — a safe
  21. game — wild animals
  22. ground — the earth
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. wound — an injury

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