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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. fall — to drop
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. rule — government
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. tube — a container
  10. mark — a trace
  11. fall — to drop
  12. rule — a law
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. mark — a grade
  15. vault — a safe
  16. dip — to sink
  17. bat — the animal
  18. fall — the season
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. date — the fruit

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