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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. suit — clothes
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. vault — a safe
  6. wind — moving air
  7. ball — a dance
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. tube — the underground
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. suit — to fit
  16. ball — a great time
  17. suit — in cards
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. wind — moving air
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. tube — a container
  23. rush — hurry
  24. pass — a permit

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