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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: lean · fan · vault · ball · last · pop · bay · bowl

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. last — to go on
  3. lean — thin
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. last — finally
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. ball — a dance
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. ball — a great time
  15. pop — to visit
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. vault — a safe
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. last — final
  21. pop — soda
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. lean — to bend
  24. lean — to rest against

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