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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 116 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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. mate — a friend
  3. net — for catching
  4. net — in sport
  5. vault — a safe
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. clip — for paper
  10. rest — what's left
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. clip — a video
  13. cap — of ice
  14. net — after costs
  15. bat — the animal
  16. mate — to breed
  17. clip — to cut
  18. rest — a break
  19. cap — a lid
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. rest — what's left
  22. mate — a partner
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. cap — a hat

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