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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. rock — a stone
  3. rock — music
  4. present — the time now
  5. firm — decided
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. bat — the animal
  8. firm — a company
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. wound — an injury
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. firm — steady
  16. wound — an injury
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. vault — a safe
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. dip — to sink
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. present — a gift
  24. dip — a sauce

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