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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 surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. band — a ring
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. vault — a safe
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. charge — in control
  11. charge — a price
  12. charge — electricity
  13. ball — a dance
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. bass — low music
  16. bat — the animal
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. band — a music group
  20. ball — a great time
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. mine — for digging
  24. bass — the fish

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