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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cap — a lid
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. mine — for digging
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. vault — a safe
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. cap — a hat
  13. wound — an injury
  14. date — the fruit
  15. wound — an injury
  16. rush — hurry
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. saw — the tool
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. saw — the tool
  22. cap — of ice
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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