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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. mark — a grade
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. drill — a practice
  7. squash — the sport
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. squash — to crush
  14. drill — army training
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. bear — the animal
  17. drill — the tool
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. mark — a trace
  20. cell — in biology
  21. mine — for digging
  22. bear — the animal
  23. vault — a safe
  24. mine — an explosive

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