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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. face — to confront
  3. rash — a series
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. can — a tin
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. can — to be able to
  10. can — a tin
  11. vault — a safe
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. face — part of the head
  14. cold — not warm
  15. rash — hasty
  16. board — a committee
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. face — to point toward
  21. board — to get on
  22. pit — in a race
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. pit — a hole

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