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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. dip — to sink
  3. spring — of water
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. spring — a coil
  7. ground — crushed
  8. lean — thin
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. ground — a position
  11. lean — to bend
  12. vault — a safe
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. plane — a tool
  19. toast — bread
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. spring — the season
  22. ground — the earth
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. snap — to click

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