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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. pass — a permit
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. clip — for paper
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. toast — bread
  7. pit — in a race
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. pit — a hole
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. clip — to cut
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. cold — an illness
  18. cold — not warm
  19. clip — a video
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. cold — the Cold War

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