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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. sharp — clever
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. squash — the sport
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. pitch — completely
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. spring — the season
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. spring — a coil
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. squash — to crush
  21. spring — of water
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. leaves — lets stay

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