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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. season — in sport
  4. club — for golf
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. club — a group
  9. wake — a trail
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. season — of the year
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. club — for dancing
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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