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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. vault — a safe
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. track — a song
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. track — to keep track
  9. mug — a face
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. kick — in football
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. face — part of the head
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. face — to point toward
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. face — to confront
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. track — a path
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. mug — a cup

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