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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. spell — magic
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. vault — a safe
  6. cell — in biology
  7. spell — a short time
  8. cell — a phone
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. spell — letters
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. drill — a practice
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. rush — hurry
  17. pitch — completely
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. drill — army training
  23. drill — the tool
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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