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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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. drill — army training
  3. mate — a friend
  4. net — for catching
  5. mate — a partner
  6. bat — the animal
  7. vault — a safe
  8. dip — to sink
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. net — in sport
  11. net — after costs
  12. drill — the tool
  13. suit — to fit
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. suit — in cards
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. mate — to breed
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. drill — a practice

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