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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. craft — boats
  4. cell — in biology
  5. bear — the animal
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. cell — a phone
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. fine — all right
  10. net — after costs
  11. vault — a safe
  12. bear — the animal
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. fine — high quality
  15. net — in sport
  16. craft — a skill
  17. cold — an illness
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. cold — not warm
  20. sharp — clever
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. net — for catching
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. bear — to put up with

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