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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. net — after costs
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. land — a country
  6. face — part of the head
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. land — to come down
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. face — to confront
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. land — ground
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. wake — a trail
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. face — to point toward
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. vault — a safe
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. net — in sport

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