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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. stem — to come from
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. roll — a cake
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. cap — of ice
  10. vault — a safe
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. cap — a hat
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. cap — a lid
  17. chair — a leader
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. cabinet — ministers

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