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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 120 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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  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. wound — an injury
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. field — for sport
  5. key — in music
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. cold — not warm
  8. suit — clothes
  9. key — for a lock
  10. wound — an injury
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. key — the most important part
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. field — farmland
  16. mine — for digging
  17. suit — to fit
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. suit — in cards
  21. field — a subject
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. cold — an illness
  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