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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. cap — of ice
  3. game — wild animals
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. rock — a stone
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. mate — a partner
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. bear — the animal
  10. cap — a lid
  11. mate — a friend
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. rock — music
  14. mate — to breed
  15. bear — the animal
  16. roll — a cake
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. roll — a list
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. cap — a hat
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. vault — a safe

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