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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. cap — a lid
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. cap — a hat
  5. ball — a dance
  6. vault — a safe
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. chair — a leader
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. ball — a great time
  12. cap — of ice
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. leaves — to go away

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