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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 116 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: bowl · hide · mate · cap · wave · vault · court · mine

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. mine — for digging
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. mate — a partner
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. court — of law
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. cap — of ice
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. mate — to breed
  15. court — for sport
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. vault — a safe
  21. court — of a king
  22. cap — a hat
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. mate — a friend

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