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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. fine — high quality
  3. chest — of your body
  4. rock — music
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. cold — not warm
  7. rock — a stone
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. vault — a safe
  15. bear — the animal
  16. fine — all right
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. pass — a permit
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. cold — an illness
  22. bear — the animal
  23. chest — of your body
  24. jam — a tight spot

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