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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. can — a tin
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. cold — an illness
  7. can — a tin
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. track — a song
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. cue — a hint
  13. vault — a safe
  14. rest — a break
  15. cue — a signal
  16. cue — for pool
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. rest — what's left
  19. cold — not warm
  20. track — to keep track
  21. track — a path
  22. rush — hurry
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. mine — for digging

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