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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 water is too ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. vault — a safe
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. cue — a signal
  5. rock — a stone
  6. bound — certain
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. rock — music
  9. cue — for pool
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. cold — an illness
  13. can — a tin
  14. bound — tied together
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. can — a tin
  17. scale — size or range
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. bound — obliged
  21. can — to be able to
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. scale — in music
  24. cue — a hint

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