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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 116 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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. pop — music
  7. shower — rain
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. band — a music group
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. pitch — completely
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. face — to confront
  15. pop — to visit
  16. face — to point toward
  17. mine — for digging
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. shower — to wash
  21. face — part of the head
  22. pop — soda
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. band — a ring

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