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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. key — for a lock
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. cell — in biology
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. tube — the underground
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. band — a music group
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. tube — a container
  16. cell — a phone
  17. key — in music
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. band — a ring
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. key — the most important part
  24. arm — part of the body

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