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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. bound — obliged
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. roll — a list
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. date — the fruit
  9. bound — tied together
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. mark — a grade
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. bat — the animal
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. roll — a cake
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. vault — a safe
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. bound — certain
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. mark — a trace

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