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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. net — in sport
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. net — for catching
  8. object — a thing
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. object — an aim
  12. stock — goods
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. net — after costs
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. object — to protest
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. stock — shares
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. sharp — clever
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. foot — a measure

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