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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. fine — all right
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. perch — the fish
  6. vault — a safe
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. fine — high quality
  12. land — to come down
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. land — a country
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. land — ground
  22. cap — a lid
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. cap — a hat

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