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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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. vault — a safe
  3. can — a tin
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. shower — to wash
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. bass — low music
  9. can — to be able to
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. tube — a container
  12. band — a music group
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wound — an injury
  16. can — a tin
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. tube — the underground
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. band — a ring
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. shower — rain
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. band — a rubber band

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