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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. drill — the tool
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wound — an injury
  6. vault — a safe
  7. drill — army training
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. pass — a permit
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. drill — a practice
  15. court — of a king
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. dip — to sink
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. rush — hurry
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. court — for sport

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