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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. last — finally
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. swing — to play on
  9. kick — in football
  10. ball — a dance
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. swing — in golf
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. swing — music
  16. ball — a great time
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. last — final
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. last — to go on
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. vault — a safe

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