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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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. last — final
  3. vault — a safe
  4. staff — employees
  5. cell — in biology
  6. cell — a phone
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. ball — a great time
  9. last — to go on
  10. staff — employees
  11. ball — a dance
  12. last — finally
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. staff — a stick
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. sharp — clever
  24. ball — a round shape

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