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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 116 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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. lie — to recline
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. vault — a safe
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. cell — a phone
  9. drill — the tool
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — the tool
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. drill — army training
  14. drill — a practice
  15. chip — to eat
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. chip — for betting
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. cell — in biology
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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