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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. vault — a safe
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. hand — in cards
  8. ball — a dance
  9. hand — help
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. can — a tin
  14. dip — to sink
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. can — a tin
  18. ball — a great time

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