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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 ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. wind — moving air
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. wind — moving air
  7. fine — high quality
  8. march — the month
  9. season — in sport
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. object — an aim
  12. march — music
  13. board — to get on
  14. fine — all right
  15. march — the month
  16. object — a thing
  17. vault — a safe
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. object — to protest
  22. board — a committee
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. season — of the year

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