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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. cap — a lid
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. march — the month
  7. chip — to eat
  8. march — music
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. cap — of ice
  15. game — wild animals
  16. march — the month
  17. chip — for betting
  18. wax — to grow
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. game — a match
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. cap — a hat
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. cabinet — ministers

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