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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. key — in music
  3. vault — a safe
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. row — to paddle
  6. wind — moving air
  7. last — finally
  8. bear — the animal
  9. key — for a lock
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. wind — moving air
  12. last — to go on
  13. cell — a phone
  14. bear — the animal
  15. key — the most important part
  16. last — final
  17. row — a line
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. cell — in biology

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