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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. spell — a short time
  3. spell — letters
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. vault — a safe
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. spell — magic
  14. bear — the animal
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. fork — in a road
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. bear — the animal
  21. rash — a series
  22. wind — moving air
  23. rash — hasty
  24. wind — moving air

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