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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. vault — a safe
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. saw — the tool
  5. can — to be able to
  6. bat — the animal
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. mine — for digging
  11. rush — hurry
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — a tin
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. saw — the tool
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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