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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. mine — for digging
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. kid — child
  6. fall — to drop
  7. fall — the season
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. board — to get on
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. deal — to handle
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. vault — a safe
  22. board — a committee
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. fall — to drop

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