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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. bulb — for light
  4. cold — an illness
  5. clip — for paper
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. cell — a phone
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. dip — to sink
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. cold — not warm
  12. bore — to drill
  13. cell — in biology
  14. clip — to cut
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. clip — a video
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — the tool
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bulb — for light
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. bore — to tire
  24. vault — a safe

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