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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. pass — a permit
  3. vault — a safe
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. file — a line of people
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. ball — a great time
  9. file — a tool
  10. bear — the animal
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. ground — crushed
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. ball — a dance
  15. ground — a position
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. mine — for digging
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. ground — the earth
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. file — a document

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