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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 116 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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. cap — of ice
  3. kid — to tease
  4. cell — a phone
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. cap — a hat
  9. vault — a safe
  10. cap — a lid
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. cell — in biology
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. board — a committee
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. fork — in a road
  20. board — to get on
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. kid — child
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. fork — a garden tool

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