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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. cue — a signal
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. wind — moving air
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. cue — a hint
  16. foot — a measure
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. wind — moving air
  19. cue — for pool
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. dip — to sink
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. wind — to turn a key

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