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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. stand — to bear
  3. rock — music
  4. game — a match
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. land — a country
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. season — in sport
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. wind — moving air
  17. game — wild animals
  18. land — ground
  19. land — to come down
  20. wind — moving air
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. rock — a stone
  24. season — of the year

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