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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 120 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 assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. hand — help
  4. can — a tin
  5. hand — in cards
  6. scale — size or range
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. fine — high quality
  9. vault — a safe
  10. scale — in music
  11. season — in sport
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. rock — a stone
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. can — to be able to
  19. season — of the year
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. can — a tin
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. rock — music

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