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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 ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. object — an aim
  4. saw — the tool
  5. wind — moving air
  6. band — a ring
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. wind — moving air
  9. object — a thing
  10. saw — the tool
  11. track — to keep track
  12. vault — a safe
  13. band — a music group
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. track — a song
  18. foot — a measure
  19. sharp — clever
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. object — to protest
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. track — a path
  24. wind — to turn a key

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