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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 124 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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: dip · wave · vault · cell · cap · bowl

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. cap — a lid
  4. cell — a phone
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. cell — in biology
  10. cap — a hat
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. dip — to sink
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. cap — of ice
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. dip — to dunk

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