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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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  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. board — to get on
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. court — of law
  6. court — of a king
  7. cold — not warm
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. vault — a safe
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. board — a committee
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cold — an illness
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. kid — to tease
  17. rush — hurry
  18. kid — child
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. court — for sport
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. cold — the Cold War
  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