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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 120 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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. mark — a trace
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. shower — to wash
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mark — a grade
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. dip — to sink
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. shower — rain
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. vault — a safe
  22. bat — the animal
  23. fine — high quality
  24. mark — to pay attention

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