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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. kid — child
  5. rock — music
  6. bear — the animal
  7. vault — a safe
  8. saw — the tool
  9. cap — a lid
  10. cap — of ice
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. cap — a hat
  13. bear — the animal
  14. kid — to tease
  15. saw — the tool
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. saw — past of 'see'

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