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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. tube — a container
  3. tube — the underground
  4. craft — boats
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. lean — thin
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. mate — a partner
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. vault — a safe
  13. cap — a hat
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. mate — to breed
  16. craft — a skill
  17. mine — for digging
  18. lean — to bend
  19. mate — a friend
  20. degree — temperature
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. degree — from a university
  23. cap — of ice
  24. degree — an amount

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