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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. mark — a grade
  3. bound — certain
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. mark — a trace
  6. bear — the animal
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. bound — tied together
  9. court — of a king
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. court — of law
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. cell — a phone
  15. court — for sport
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bound — obliged
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. vault — a safe
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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