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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. mug — a cup
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. vault — a safe
  6. pop — music
  7. can — a tin
  8. pop — soda
  9. mug — to rob
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. can — to be able to
  12. cold — not warm
  13. lean — thin
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. lean — to bend
  16. stock — shares
  17. pop — to visit
  18. mug — a face
  19. prune — to trim
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. prune — to trim
  22. cold — an illness
  23. can — a tin
  24. stock — goods

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