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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. board — a committee
  4. wake — a trail
  5. bound — obliged
  6. vault — a safe
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. roll — a cake
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. bound — tied together
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. snap — to click
  19. board — to get on
  20. bound — certain
  21. ball — a dance
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. roll — a list
  24. ball — a great time

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