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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 116 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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. kid — to tease
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. pop — music
  5. swing — in golf
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. cell — a phone
  9. can — to be able to
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. can — a tin
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. cell — in biology
  15. swing — to play on
  16. kid — child
  17. pop — to visit
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. swing — music
  20. vault — a safe
  21. can — a tin
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. pop — soda
  24. mouse — for a computer

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