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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 116 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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. land — ground
  3. cell — a phone
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. land — a country
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. fall — the season
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. land — to come down
  11. cell — in biology
  12. fall — to drop
  13. season — of the year
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. season — in sport
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. pound — a weight
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. fall — to drop
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. pound — to hit hard

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