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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. can — a tin
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. ball — a dance
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. clip — a video
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. wake — a trail
  10. vault — a safe
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. ball — a great time
  13. deal — to handle
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. swing — to play on
  16. can — to be able to
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. can — a tin
  19. clip — for paper
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. swing — music
  22. swing — in golf
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. clip — to cut

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