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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. mate — a friend
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. stand — to bear
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. bat — the animal
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. vault — a safe
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. rock — a stone
  20. rock — music
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. mate — to breed
  24. bat — for baseball

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