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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. vault — a safe
  3. mate — a friend
  4. band — a music group
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bear — the animal
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. band — a ring
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. mate — a partner
  16. shower — to wash
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. game — wild animals
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. game — a match
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. shower — rain
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. bear — to put up with

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