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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. fork — in a road
  9. vault — a safe
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. stand — to bear
  15. dip — to sink
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. fall — to drop
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wound — an injury
  20. fall — to drop
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. fall — the season

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