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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. cell — in biology
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. chair — a leader
  12. vault — a safe
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. wake — a trail
  17. bat — the animal
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. jam — in traffic

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