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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. dip — to sink
  3. net — in sport
  4. hand — help
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. lean — thin
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. net — for catching
  12. clip — a video
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. net — after costs
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. clip — to cut
  17. hand — in cards
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. clip — for paper
  20. lean — to bend
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. stand — to bear
  24. dip — a sauce

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