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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 120 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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. can — a tin
  3. pit — a hole
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. pit — in a race
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. cell — in biology
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. branch — a division
  11. scale — in music
  12. spring — of water
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. spring — the season
  15. cell — a phone
  16. scale — size or range
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. can — to be able to
  22. vault — a safe
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. spring — a coil

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