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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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468
Word bank
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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. ball — a great time
  3. sharp — clever
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. kid — child
  6. kid — to tease
  7. band — a ring
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. vault — a safe
  11. perch — the fish
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. can — a tin
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. can — to be able to
  20. band — a music group
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. ball — a dance
  23. lie — to recline
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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