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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 116 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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. hand — in cards
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. present — the time now
  10. present — a gift
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. vault — a safe
  16. bat — the animal
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. deal — to handle
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. present — there
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. hand — help

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