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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. game — a match
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. tear — from crying
  11. capital — money
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. tear — to rip
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. capital — a city
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. tear — from crying
  22. game — wild animals
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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