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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. fine — high quality
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. mate — a friend
  5. fine — all right
  6. vault — a safe
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. bat — the animal
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. mate — a partner
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. ball — a dance
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. wound — an injury
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. ball — a great time
  20. mate — to breed
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. wound — an injury
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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