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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. vault — a safe
  3. kid — child
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. mine — for digging
  8. bass — the fish
  9. staff — employees
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. rush — hurry
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. staff — employees
  14. kid — to tease
  15. court — of law
  16. court — of a king
  17. bass — low music
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. lie — to recline
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. staff — a stick
  23. court — for sport
  24. lie — an untruth

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