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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 120 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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. cell — a phone
  4. pop — to visit
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. hand — help
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. prune — to trim
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. pop — soda
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. prune — to trim
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. cell — in biology
  19. fine — all right
  20. pop — music
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. hand — in cards
  23. fine — high quality
  24. vault — a safe

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