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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. can — a tin
  3. mate — to breed
  4. game — a match
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. mate — a partner
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. bass — low music
  11. mate — a friend
  12. bass — the fish
  13. can — a tin
  14. game — wild animals
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. roll — a list
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. can — to be able to
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. roll — a cake
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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