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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. bank — of a river
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. vault — a safe
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bat — the animal
  18. bank — for money
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. toast — bread
  23. bank — for money
  24. bat — in an idiom

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