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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 116 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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. cold — an illness
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. saw — the tool
  5. cap — of ice
  6. vault — a safe
  7. wound — an injury
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. saw — the tool
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. chip — for betting
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. cap — a lid
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. wound — an injury
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. cap — a hat
  23. cold — not warm
  24. chip — to eat

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