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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.

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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. cell — a phone
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. vault — a safe
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. chest — of your body
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. roll — a list
  13. chest — a box
  14. staff — employees
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. cell — in biology
  18. chest — of your body
  19. staff — a stick
  20. staff — employees
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. toast — bread

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