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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. capital — money
  3. mug — a face
  4. fall — to drop
  5. sharp — clever
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. present — the time now
  8. mug — a cup
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. present — there
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. fall — the season
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. mug — to rob
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. ball — a great time
  19. capital — a city
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. ball — a dance
  22. fall — to drop
  23. present — a gift
  24. capital — a big letter

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