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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 met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. pass — a permit
  4. vault — a safe
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. land — a country
  7. shower — to wash
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. land — ground
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. mine — for digging
  18. shower — rain
  19. cue — a hint
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. land — to come down
  22. cue — a signal
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. cue — for pool

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