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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. bass — the fish
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. pop — music
  7. pop — soda
  8. mate — a partner
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. vault — a safe
  11. mate — a friend
  12. bass — low music
  13. pop — to visit
  14. cold — an illness
  15. cold — not warm
  16. wound — an injury
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. wound — an injury
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. mate — to breed
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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