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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 was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. shower — rain
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. wake — a trail
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — to recline
  11. ball — a dance
  12. swing — in golf
  13. swing — music
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. swing — to play on
  16. vault — a safe
  17. bound — certain
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. bound — tied together
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. shower — to wash
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. bound — obliged

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