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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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Word bank
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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bulb — for light
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. fall — to drop
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. march — music
  11. vault — a safe
  12. mug — to rob
  13. fall — the season
  14. fall — to drop
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. march — the month
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. mug — a cup
  22. march — the month
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. bulb — for light

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