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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 lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. current — electric
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. wake — a trail
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. chest — of your body
  8. chest — of your body
  9. vault — a safe
  10. bound — obliged
  11. march — music
  12. bound — tied together
  13. march — the month
  14. current — of water
  15. current — happening now
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. stand — to bear
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. mark — a grade
  20. bound — certain
  21. march — the month
  22. mark — a trace
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. wake — before a funeral

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