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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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468
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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. dip — to sink
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. vault — a safe
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. rule — a law
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. rule — government
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. mug — a cup
  19. cold — an illness
  20. mug — a face
  21. foot — a measure
  22. cold — not warm
  23. mug — to rob
  24. cold — the Cold War

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