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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. hand — in cards
  3. spell — letters
  4. hand — help
  5. wake — a trail
  6. pit — a hole
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. fine — all right
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. bear — the animal
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. spell — magic
  13. fine — high quality
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. bear — the animal
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. lean — to bend
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. spell — a short time
  20. pit — in a race
  21. lean — thin
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. fine — a penalty

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