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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 116 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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. cap — of ice
  4. scale — in music
  5. wind — moving air
  6. stock — shares
  7. scale — size or range
  8. stock — goods
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. fall — to drop
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. fall — the season
  18. fall — to drop
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. wind — moving air
  21. rock — music
  22. cap — a hat
  23. cap — a lid
  24. rock — a stone

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