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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. mate — a partner
  5. vault — a safe
  6. saw — the tool
  7. cold — not warm
  8. mate — a friend
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. capital — money
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. capital — a city
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. bear — the animal
  19. saw — the tool
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. bear — the animal
  23. mate — to breed
  24. cold — the Cold War

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