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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.

Make a worksheet

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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. fall — the season
  5. fall — to drop
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. fall — to drop
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. current — of water
  11. vault — a safe
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. tube — the underground
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. current — electric
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. current — happening now
  18. coach — pulled by horses

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