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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 116 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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. can — to be able to
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. mate — a friend
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. vault — a safe
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. mate — to breed
  13. mate — a partner
  14. can — a tin
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. wake — a trail
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. can — a tin
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. ruler — for measuring

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