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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. board — to get on
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. board — a committee
  6. spring — of water
  7. present — the time now
  8. vault — a safe
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. present — there
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. present — a gift
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. spring — a coil
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. saw — the tool
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. saw — the tool
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. spring — the season
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. temple — a place of worship

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