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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. bat — the animal
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. vault — a safe
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. shower — rain
  12. mark — a trace
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. shower — to wash
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. mark — a grade
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. sharp — clever

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