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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. track — to keep track
  3. chest — of your body
  4. bear — the animal
  5. row — to paddle
  6. mug — a face
  7. can — to be able to
  8. can — a tin
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. track — a song
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. chest — a box
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. mug — to rob
  16. chest — of your body
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. row — a line
  20. mug — a cup
  21. track — a path
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. bear — the animal
  24. can — a tin

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