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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. capital — money
  3. can — to be able to
  4. capital — a city
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. rush — hurry
  7. wake — a trail
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. chest — of your body
  10. can — a tin
  11. chest — of your body
  12. vault — a safe
  13. can — a tin
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. pitch — completely
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. march — the month
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. march — music
  21. chest — a box
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. march — the month

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