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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. bore — to drill
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. cold — not warm
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. saw — the tool
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. bore — to tire
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. vault — a safe
  19. saw — the tool
  20. cell — a phone
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. cold — an illness

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