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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. pass — a permit
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. swing — to play on
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. swing — in golf
  11. vault — a safe
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. mine — for digging
  15. bass — the fish
  16. swing — music
  17. bat — the animal
  18. cue — a hint
  19. cue — for pool
  20. bass — low music
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. wind — moving air
  23. cue — a signal
  24. wind — moving air

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