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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. hand — help
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. rock — music
  6. dip — to sink
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. cap — a lid
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. squash — the sport
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. squash — to crush
  15. stem — to come from
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. cap — a hat
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. hand — in cards
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. rock — a stone
  24. cap — of ice

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