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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 120 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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. cell — in biology
  3. vault — a safe
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. craft — a skill
  6. rule — government
  7. cell — a phone
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. tube — the underground
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. rest — what's left
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. spring — a coil
  16. craft — boats
  17. spring — the season
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. rest — a break
  22. perch — the fish
  23. rule — a law
  24. spring — of water

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