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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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. mark — a grade
  4. mate — a friend
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. mate — to breed
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. mate — a partner
  13. mark — a trace
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. deal — to handle
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. kick — in football
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. land — ground
  22. date — the fruit
  23. land — a country
  24. land — to come down

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