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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 120 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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. dip — to sink
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. band — a ring
  7. ball — a dance
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. vault — a safe
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. band — a music group
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. perch — the fish
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. file — a line of people
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. file — a document
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. ball — a great time
  23. file — a tool
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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