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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rash · ground · mouse · wound · present · bat · season · vault

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. season — in sport
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. wound — an injury
  5. rash — a series
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. vault — a safe
  11. wound — an injury
  12. ground — a position
  13. bat — the animal
  14. ground — the earth
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. ground — crushed
  17. present — the time now
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. present — a gift
  20. rash — hasty
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. season — of the year

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