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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. mark — a trace
  3. vault — a safe
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. spell — magic
  6. spell — letters
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. rock — music
  9. shower — to wash
  10. season — of the year
  11. tube — the underground
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. mark — a grade
  16. shower — rain
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. season — in sport
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. spell — a short time
  24. rock — a stone

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