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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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. vault — a safe
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. roll — a cake
  5. drill — a practice
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. ground — crushed
  8. drill — the tool
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. mug — a cup
  11. deal — to handle
  12. snap — to click
  13. roll — a list
  14. ground — the earth
  15. ground — a position
  16. spring — a coil
  17. mug — a face
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. spring — of water
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. spring — the season
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. mug — to rob
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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