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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. fall — the season
  3. fall — to drop
  4. branch — a division
  5. capital — a city
  6. pit — in a race
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. pit — a hole
  17. ball — a great time
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. capital — money
  20. fall — to drop
  21. ball — a dance
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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