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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 ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. cap — a hat
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. vault — a safe
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. cell — in biology
  9. cell — a phone
  10. cap — of ice
  11. wake — a trail
  12. row — a line
  13. row — to paddle
  14. wind — moving air
  15. bass — low music
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. wind — moving air
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. bass — the fish
  23. cap — a lid
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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