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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. rest — a break
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. vault — a safe
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. rest — what's left
  8. dip — to sink
  9. ball — a dance
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. season — in sport
  13. rest — what's left
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. bank — for money
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. ball — a great time
  20. bank — of a river
  21. wound — an injury
  22. season — of the year
  23. wound — an injury
  24. bank — for money

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