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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. The water is too ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. vault — a safe
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. cold — an illness
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. roll — a list
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. branch — a division
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. roll — a cake
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cue — a signal
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. cue — a hint
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. cue — for pool
  24. cabinet — ministers

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