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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. lean — thin
  4. bat — the animal
  5. pass — a permit
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. pit — a hole
  10. march — music
  11. lean — to bend
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. band — a ring
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. march — the month
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. pit — in a race
  22. band — a music group
  23. march — the month
  24. mouse — the animal

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