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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. face — part of the head
  6. swing — to play on
  7. hand — help
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. vault — a safe
  10. wake — a trail
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. face — to point toward
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. game — wild animals
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. swing — music
  18. swing — in golf
  19. face — to confront
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. game — a match
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. bowl — a dish

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