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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. current — happening now
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. vault — a safe
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. pass — a permit
  8. bat — the animal
  9. prune — to trim
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. current — electric
  12. prune — to trim
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fall — to drop
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. mark — a grade
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. fall — the season
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. current — of water
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. mark — a trace

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