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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. vault — a safe
  4. cell — in biology
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. board — a committee
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. pit — a hole
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. last — final
  12. last — to go on
  13. mark — a grade
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. last — finally
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. mark — a trace
  19. pit — in a race
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. board — to get on
  22. cell — a phone
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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