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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 124 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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. object — a thing
  3. present — there
  4. present — a gift
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. drill — army training
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. season — in sport
  10. vault — a safe
  11. season — of the year
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. sharp — clever
  14. object — to protest
  15. drill — a practice
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. present — the time now
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. drill — the tool
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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