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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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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: mine · rest · dip · band · vault · kid · sharp · bear

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. dip — to sink
  3. mine — for digging
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. bear — the animal
  8. rest — what's left
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. rest — what's left
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. vault — a safe
  14. band — a music group
  15. sharp — clever
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. band — a ring
  18. kid — child
  19. kid — to tease
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. bear — the animal
  24. rest — a break

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