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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. present — there
  5. capital — a city
  6. file — a tool
  7. pit — a hole
  8. present — a gift
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. file — a line of people
  11. can — a tin
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. capital — money
  14. file — a document
  15. present — the time now
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. vault — a safe
  18. can — to be able to
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. can — a tin
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. pit — in a race

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