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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. stand — to bear
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. vault — a safe
  8. dip — to sink
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. lie — to recline
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. spring — the season
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. board — a committee
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. spring — a coil
  17. spring — of water
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. board — to get on
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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