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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. court — for sport
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. fine — high quality
  9. wound — an injury
  10. lie — to recline
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. hand — help
  14. fine — all right
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. court — of law
  20. wound — an injury
  21. court — of a king
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. hand — in cards

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