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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 lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. key — for a lock
  3. key — the most important part
  4. ground — a position
  5. bear — the animal
  6. vault — a safe
  7. bear — the animal
  8. chest — of your body
  9. fine — high quality
  10. land — ground
  11. tube — a container
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. land — a country
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. land — to come down
  17. fine — all right
  18. tube — the underground
  19. chest — of your body
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. ground — crushed
  22. ground — the earth
  23. key — in music
  24. tube — in a tire

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