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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. ball — a dance
  3. rush — hurry
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. fine — high quality
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. wake — a trail
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. vault — a safe
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. fine — all right
  15. ball — a great time
  16. saw — the tool
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. saw — the tool
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. game — wild animals
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. game — a match

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