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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. clip — a video
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. stand — to bear
  8. chest — a box
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. suit — in cards
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. vault — a safe
  15. clip — for paper
  16. suit — clothes
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. chest — of your body
  21. suit — to fit
  22. bat — the animal
  23. clip — to cut
  24. chest — of your body

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