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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. chest — a box
  3. cap — a lid
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. march — music
  6. scale — size or range
  7. staff — employees
  8. suit — to fit
  9. chest — of your body
  10. staff — employees
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. shower — rain
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. march — the month
  15. shower — to wash
  16. scale — in music
  17. suit — clothes
  18. cap — a hat
  19. vault — a safe
  20. suit — in cards
  21. staff — a stick
  22. march — the month
  23. cap — of ice
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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