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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rest — a break
  4. cap — of ice
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. rest — what's left
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. snap — to click
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. fine — high quality
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. cap — a lid
  18. vault — a safe
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. cap — a hat
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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