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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. content — happy
  3. fall — to drop
  4. land — a country
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. fall — to drop
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. land — ground
  12. cold — not warm
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. vault — a safe
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. content — the amount
  17. fall — the season
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. board — to get on
  20. land — to come down
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. board — a committee
  23. cold — an illness
  24. content — videos and posts

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