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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. vault — a safe
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. can — a tin
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. wound — an injury
  8. last — final
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. last — to go on
  11. last — finally
  12. suit — to fit
  13. spring — the season
  14. can — a tin
  15. spring — a coil
  16. suit — in cards
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. suit — clothes
  19. spring — of water
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. bat — the animal
  23. can — to be able to
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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