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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.

Make a worksheet

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 blown up by a land ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. mine — for digging
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. net — for catching
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. vault — a safe
  7. net — in sport
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. saw — the tool
  10. charge — a price
  11. charge — in control
  12. cold — an illness
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. net — after costs
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. cold — not warm
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. charge — electricity
  23. saw — the tool
  24. hide — animal skin

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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