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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. object — to protest
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. wake — a trail
  9. pit — in a race
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. rush — hurry
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. kid — child
  17. object — an aim
  18. object — a thing
  19. chair — a leader
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. pit — a hole
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. kid — to tease

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