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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 120 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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. object — an aim
  5. face — to confront
  6. hand — help
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. face — part of the head
  9. object — to protest
  10. pit — in a race
  11. face — to point toward
  12. object — a thing
  13. pit — a hole
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. clip — a video
  19. clip — for paper
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. hand — in cards
  23. clip — to cut
  24. mouse — the animal

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