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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 was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. cell — a phone
  3. scale — in music
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. kick — in football
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. cap — a hat
  9. scale — size or range
  10. pit — a hole
  11. pit — in a race
  12. band — a music group
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. cap — of ice
  16. lie — to recline
  17. cap — a lid
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. cell — in biology
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. vault — a safe
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. band — a ring

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