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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 works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. vault — a safe
  4. cap — of ice
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. net — for catching
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. charge — a price
  11. charge — electricity
  12. cap — a hat
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. cap — a lid
  15. object — an aim
  16. saw — the tool
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. net — after costs
  19. object — to protest
  20. net — in sport
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. charge — in control
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. object — a thing

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