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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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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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. current — happening now
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. pit — in a race
  12. lean — thin
  13. current — electric
  14. date — the fruit
  15. cap — a lid
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. pit — a hole
  18. vault — a safe
  19. lean — to bend
  20. current — of water
  21. face — to point toward
  22. face — part of the head
  23. cap — a hat
  24. face — to confront

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