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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. tube — the underground
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. rash — hasty
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. vault — a safe
  10. cap — of ice
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. cap — a hat
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. ball — a great time
  15. tube — a container
  16. cap — a lid
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. rash — a series
  19. ball — a dance
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. lie — to recline
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. lie — an untruth

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