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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 124 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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. vault — a safe
  7. can — a tin
  8. chest — of your body
  9. toast — bread
  10. chest — of your body
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. can — a tin
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. hand — help
  21. can — to be able to
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. hand — in cards
  24. chest — a box

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