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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 ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. net — for catching
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. tube — a container
  6. tube — the underground
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. game — wild animals
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. ground — crushed
  11. net — in sport
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. net — after costs
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. ground — the earth
  16. kick — in football
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. ground — a position
  21. game — a match
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. pass — a permit

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