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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. vault — a safe
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. current — of water
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. row — a line
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. row — to paddle
  11. snap — to click
  12. scale — in music
  13. pit — in a race
  14. pit — a hole
  15. current — electric
  16. current — happening now
  17. branch — a division
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. scale — size or range
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. cell — in biology
  24. pit — a fruit 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