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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. dip — to sink
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. rush — hurry
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. season — of the year
  9. cold — an illness
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. saw — the tool
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. rash — a series
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. vault — a safe
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. season — in sport
  21. rash — hasty
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. cold — not warm

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