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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. club — for golf
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. face — part of the head
  8. cap — of ice
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. face — to point toward
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. vault — a safe
  15. club — a group
  16. cap — a hat
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. bear — the animal
  19. face — to confront
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. cap — a lid
  22. club — for dancing
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. bear — the animal

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