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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. vault — a safe
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. rule — government
  8. rule — a law
  9. cold — not warm
  10. cold — an illness
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. fine — all right
  13. ball — a dance
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. mug — a face
  17. fine — high quality
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. mug — to rob
  20. ball — a great time
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. mug — a cup
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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