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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. vault — a safe
  3. bear — the animal
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. cold — not warm
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. rock — a stone
  10. tube — the underground
  11. tube — a container
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. stand — to bear
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. bear — the animal
  16. prune — to trim
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cold — an illness
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. rock — music
  22. prune — to trim
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. rock — to move gently

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