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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. 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. fall — the season
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. dip — to sink
  4. fall — to drop
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. chip — to eat
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. vault — a safe
  10. fall — to drop
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. chip — for betting
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. wake — a trail
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. ball — a dance
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. 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