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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. rush — hurry
  3. bound — certain
  4. ball — a dance
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. net — for catching
  9. bound — tied together
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. vault — a safe
  12. bound — obliged
  13. ball — a great time
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. wake — a trail
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. net — after costs
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. net — in sport
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. dip — to sink
  24. rush — a thrill

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