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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 would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. band — a ring
  3. board — to get on
  4. spell — a short time
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. spell — magic
  7. spell — letters
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. rest — what's left
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. pass — a permit
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. rest — what's left
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. board — a committee
  19. vault — a safe
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. band — a music group
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. pitcher — a jug

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