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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. date — the fruit
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. wound — an injury
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. wound — an injury
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. kick — in football
  14. band — a music group
  15. mug — to rob
  16. mug — a cup
  17. object — to protest
  18. object — an aim
  19. object — a thing
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. band — a ring
  22. mug — a face
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. vault — a safe

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