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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 lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. bound — certain
  3. scale — in music
  4. cap — a lid
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. cap — of ice
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. chest — of your body
  9. march — music
  10. row — to paddle
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. chest — of your body
  13. bound — tied together
  14. mug — to rob
  15. cap — a hat
  16. mug — a face
  17. row — a line
  18. bound — obliged
  19. march — the month
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. mug — a cup
  22. scale — size or range
  23. vault — a safe
  24. march — the month

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