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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. ball — a dance
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. tube — a container
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. vault — a safe
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. ball — a great time
  9. wind — moving air
  10. mine — for digging
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. mate — a partner
  13. fine — high quality
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. mate — to breed
  16. wind — moving air
  17. mate — a friend
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. tube — the underground
  23. stand — to bear
  24. fine — all right

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